AN ALLEGED LOTTERY.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXXIV, Issue 17734, 6 December 1919, Page 4

AN ALLEGED LOTTERY.

AN INTERESTING CASE.

(Per Press Association.)

WELLINGTON, Dec. 5

The lottery law lays down thrat articles other than works of art may only be disposed o£ by lottery, or raffled, where the express permission of the Minister of Internal Affairs has been obtained and a pronouncement was made at the time of tjie Trenthani Scholarship Art Union that permits would no longer be readily given, although the Government had granted very many such permits during the war period. The police took action at the Magistrate's Court to-day against Father Synith for .an alleged offence against the Gaming Act in connection with" a Roman Catholic * bazaar held in the, Town Hall recently. /■ ~ Chief Detective Boddam said advertisements in the daily papers had called special attention to three main prizes—a thoroughbred chestnut filly (value 100 guineas), a suit ot-clothes or costume, and an eiderdown quilt, while many other articles of silver ware and other goods were also mentioned. When spoken to by the police the defendant had been perfectly frank and detailed ttie scheme whereby these - arjticles were to be disposed of. There'was, he wished to stress particularly, no suggestion that tickets had been disposed of in any other than a perfectly fair manner.

Father Smyth, in evidence, admitted the articles had been disposed oE . in a manner in which there ■was"a certain element of chance, which entered into buying and selling of very many articles, and he particularly mentioned those bid favourites of the juveniles—the bran tub '-anti lucky bag.v The racehorse ml question had b^en offered to the bazaar as a raffle by a friend of one of tSe lady stallholders, but he had ativisM her not to accept or refuse until, fie s knew where to stand. He then called on his solicitor and as a result of their discussion this solicitor drfeV up the scheme already outlined. Not wishing to run any risks of goingl outside the law, he submitted >th|t scheme to a second legal practitioner, who, after considering, ,tMe matter, passed it on to another cojifrere, who also pronounced that the scheme Was well within the law. > The Magistrate} reserved decision.