MAGISTRATE'S COURT.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1277, 4 November 1911, Page 13

MAGISTRATE'S COURT.

(Before Mr. W. G. Riddoll, S.M.) THE TRENTHAM EPISODE. "BOOKMAKERS IN A SMALL WAY." BOTH MEN FINED .£2O. Reserved judgment was delivered yesterday by Afr. W. G. Riddell, S.M., in tho cases of \V. J. Drew and John M'Crae, otherwise Smith, who were charged with being bookmakers, and betting, on tho Trentham racecourse. His Worship said'that both defendants were in steaity employment as labourers in tho city,.and wero not known to tho witness Kraotzer, a racecourse detective, as reputed bookmakers, and it would appear-that Section 2 of tho Gaming Act, I'MS, could only affect them if their acts on the racecourse, together with other facts which had been deposed to wero sufficient to. warrant tho Court in finding that they wero acting as bookmakers on the course at the date in question. Defendants had given no evidenco against the facts brought forward by the prosecution, and he thought tho inference must bo that they were engaged in betting transactions, on tho racecourse, or, in other words, wero acting an bookmakers there in a small way. .i'ho Act, however, did not make any distinction in regard to tho volume of business done, but it fixed the minimum penalty, so that a convicted person could have the evidence reviewed on general appeal. Defendants were both convicted and fined .£2O, the minimum penalty, and costs 95., with witnesses' expenses .61 13s. Gd.

r ; £• J r krath, for the defendants, asked that they might be given time in whica to pay the prices. The magistrate said he would allow three weeks. If the whole amount was not paid within that period an extension might be applied for>: i:i>!;,.i..-i-.i.' nT. POLICE CASES. Clifford Bertram Thomas, who pleaded guilty to a charge of being an idle and disorderly person, was remanded for sentence until November 10. Stephen Hansen was lined 205., in default seven days, for wilfully damaging a whiskey decanter, valued at 305., in the Royal Tiger Hotel, on November 2. He was also ordered to pay for tho damage. Elizabeth Sly was fined 205., in default seven days, for breach of a prohibition order. Sho was convicted and discharged on a charge of drunkenness. Arthur Logan, was fined 10s. for drunkenness, or iS hours' imprisonment. Threo first offending inebriates were convicted and discharged. BY-LAW CASES. James Bradley, John Breen, Lionel Burke, Ellen Edwards, Albert Gooch, John Hamilton, Henry Hansen, James T. Moore, Allan Orr, Vincent O'Shea, and Reginald Welsby wero mulcted in penalties of 10s. to 17s. for allowing stock to wander. Reginald John Welsby, who refused to move his cab on tho Queen's W T harf, when requested so to do, was fined 55., costs £1 10s.