RAID QN 400 GAMBLERS.

Wanganui Herald, Volume XXXIX, Issue 11645, 24 August 1905, Page 7

RAID QN 400 GAMBLERS.

Police Photographer Paved thfe

Way for a Surprise.

A camera played an important part in. an elaborately-planned iaid on 400 gamblers which the police carried out on the number bank, near Grimsby. For many years the Humber foreshore, stretching from Grimsby to the village of Stallingborough, has been the resort oi large numbers of men and youths, who spend their Sundays in playing games of chance.

Police efforts to suppress the practice have hitherto failed, and more than one officer who has ventured alone among the players has been assaulted and. ducked in the river. Determined to check the evil, the borough and dock police forces cooperated and under Inspector Moore made a great raid. Early in the morning a large forca oi plain-clothes officers concealed themselves along the railway sidings beneath the rivoi banks, and in a convenient hollow along the shore. There they lay hidden iintil If o'clock, bjfwjlifch^ime quite 400 men and youths we£e""spreall in groups along the shore, playing various games. A plain-clothes constable, armed with a camera, walked innocently amongst the players, snapping the different groiips, who, unsuspecting his purpose, subjected him to a good deal of chaff. When, he had used all his plates a police whistle sounded and constables descended upon the astonished gamesters from all qxiarters. The players ran off in every direction, but over 100 were captured. Many fled to the mud flats left by- the tide, but a. group of officers sat tipdn the bank and calmly waited until the fugitives, tired -of their clamp and dirty retreat, limped ashore and surrendered.

Some of the gamesters who showed fight were locked up. Tnit the remainder, having given their names, were allowed to go. They were summoned, and the constable's photographs used in evidence agnins'. them.