BETTING CHARGES

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 127, 15 February 1918, Page 4

BETTING CHARGES

THREE OASES WITHDRAWN. The fourteen men arrested by the police 011 Wednesday on various charges of gambling appeared in the Magistrate's Court yesterday, befort Mr. S. E. M'Carthy, S.M. At the outset Detective-Sergeant Cox, who appeared for the police, asked for a remand until Wednesday in all cases except those of Bernard O'Connell, George Avery, and Frederick Knigge, in which, he said, the police' would offer no evidence and wero agreeable to the cases being struck out. Mr. H. E. Evans, who appeared for Bernard O'Connell, said his client was •not content to have the case merely withdrawn, but desired to place his position before tho Court. O'Connell was employed by the Western Electric Company, which did considerable work for tho" Telegraph Department. Ho went to AValling's shop to get a ferrule for his walking-stick, when he was apprehended. Counsel severely criticised the action of the police in the case. Mr. A. Dunne, 011 behalf of Frederick Knigge, said that lie desired to address the Court in order to make the position of his client clear. Knigge was a reputable citizen, and went to the shop to buy some tobacco. Ho had teen in tlie shop once previously. The police acted without consideration, for they must have known the facts of the case at the time. On behalf of George Avery, Mr. H. P. O'Leary said that he would content himself with addressing the Court. Ho said his client went to tho shop to buy a packet of cigarettes—this was after the police were in iwssession of the premises—and was immediately bundled into a back room and later suffered the indignity of being driven through tho streets in tho police motor van itnder guard. . . In reply to counsel, His A\orsh:p said he was not going to make any comment until he knew tho facts.^ Those remanded wero John Laidhw Walling, Arthur Walling, James Rogers, Percy Winters, Henry Martindale. Henry James Wales, Clarence Adolphus Le Suer, George William Lees, Edgar Albert Edwards, Frank Greaney, and Arthur Cunningham. Bail was renewed.