IN SINGER'S AVENUE

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 72, 18 December 1920, Page 12

IN SINGER'S AVENUE

AN ALLEGED GAMING HOUSE

printers' prosecuted

COURT RESERVES ITS DECISION

• David William Driscoll (Mr. H. F and..-He K ina]d J;. M'-Ewei: (Mr. «•, k. Treadwoll) were oh'arged ■in tho Magistrate s Court yestordny before Mr. P. K. Hunt, S.lt.. with Jitivinif on 5N889 9 'dat.es 'between,/ November 29 and JJepombei.': -9,'/'used premises ,6ituated, : 'iii; Singer's Avenue ".is.' a" '"common gaining bouse. ... " .-■ • -Glrief- Detective Ward' conducted the prosecution, and . briefly-.stated tlfo natuia of tho evidence he' would call. He' , described the premises, occupied .by the (kfendants, ,wli.owore .pointers;, ... : ,'j Sydney .James M'CullOugh', a-cohstabio stationed at Wellington, and 'a 'member' of _ the Police Force since October "29, eaid that acting on instructions ho'visited the premises- occupied ,bv,the defendants on December 1,-at 2.45 p.m.- He .■went thero with another' .jnnn .pained ' Coker, whom lie knew. Both accused —-•were present, and the friend witness had

■with him. introduced'him-tO tlle'defend--nnts by. naraß and said that lie knew wi t-—aesg-and- that lie.'-was-'air-right. - Witness •«.• ttwonf aga,ih to tho premises alone, at 3.44 ■ ffnau«gjh6 same day and saw both tie-' .< . J.'rfendants. when ho made a bet., and hand-,-'*:"*'ea'M''Ewen a pound note. ..Witness ask- ; he;.could, a pound on Volu,_J .eFle/ and StUw'en' said ho could- have ff£lo. While witness, was there a man 'whom he did .not know caihe in, and ho ieaw M'Ew.en , pay.-- i.tliis/.. man .money. pl'Ewen said to. the man.:- "You' only , [have about four bets- intho- yen^ - ■ and 7'oti win every time." . Witness left.-be-fore the stramrer. .. Hp returned at 4.30

alone ;:and sa^. : who was j.4 '-printing .racecards. Dnscoll was . .not : J 'i' '{j' lere - MHwen handed witness ono of i racecards .that. jfho.Jiifd just printed.: • "t-t'jXftjl 6ss remained'ion'.thb premises until' ' ■ Litln He. went.'.tb..the'.printing.'office' "• ploho' on the next day about 10.45 a.m.' : ißotli defendants-' were;'; there;' M'Ewen ; "told witnes's that Volublo was beaien by Prodigal and that the dividend oil. Vol-iv.-x'Vble was 14s. Gd., which ha ■'handed to. .jjwitness. The-latter: asked {ho would tako' a pound oil'Eoyal Mac,' !=%, JftHd-a'bet was made-'- A day-rfl- two 'later aocompanied 'by. Constable! Mur-' '.-.-£.phy, went .to. .the preinises and sa.w Drisr.; . .Witnew-^SJced' if "Jfno"- : wns -'in' Driscoll said, ho was awiv.at -lunch. asked "Driscoll for-'- .a. racecardifor the Woodvillo races,'.and one ivas

fjriy'en to him. -He introduced Constable as Mr: Murphy, aiid the""latter " '" ■'was given a Tacecard. On that occasion : wagered a pound on : Early ''-pawn. Murphy remarked that he would i ,fcoe Driscoll Witness' went, to ■ 'the premises.again, on .December 8, alone. saw"MTiwen 'there. .'' ' ..\'«notlver bet with IfEweri on' Eisteddfod; ""iWhilo he-was .there- another maji whom L-....iVh0 knew came in and alsoli-mado a.bet Sl'Ewbn. -Witness returied to" the,

in the afternoon and saw y>oth defendants there., but, made no. ■ -Witness went in; about. 3.80 p.ia.' : .- ; '- i^Ee! r passed Detective Torranee ' at the to .-the- avenue. Witness made i."'- : : V!, a;-'bet- on- Peiiio with M'Ewijn. Pento in the' last ratio at Wood--On December 9 witness again, went ' premi&s at '9.20 •: a.m.' and- saw and 'asked him. what Bente paid: ;■- "30s. 6d ; . for- tio.und. A unknown to . .\vitness; came to the and -iske.d3iq3.wen for 2a_ cards, itktch were! given' to him: • DriscpU came'4itPl'atbr'and,witness: made'ui•.-pet. with ■|-' ,! ';'Ht'ini, 'again-'on I^nte.'. 'Cy ' ' f.-,la answer to Mr. O'leary witness said V 5 ; - s '»Jitf%as 20 years of ago and' was not a, bet A'lf "■firi'M man;''H& :had known. 'Leonard t'' : for aboiifc -six .montlis. .Jle met ' " "- Coker in Buckle StiKct,. and .after call- / !< ing'at one. or' two went .- to '■> •••iASnfe's': -If SW-T defendants. «!':'i<C*oiter introduced' him- tii.-the' two aec.tis--Or all occasions' but: ..tho ; iast: (De- ; ciSffljer-8)"'io-=''had tendered •" his • oivn -"''•S'toiiiOT for :'the. liets,' but on -December 9 a iMrfc'eU. .<6l. note. As .soon as the striped ,<xut.into :the '..;,-y,'->Jpb'tj>hth"'an'd >igfiialM : .to rthe detectives, who wero waiting"at entrance to the

r.- -~avonUH.'- .-. '• Itobei't.;.Mnrphy -said- he had a jjjenfJioi; of -tha'i'drce-since OetoHe had actfkl -iij-this matter " undor instructions superiors. G,- company with' the - f ...y.Sf-fivfoiis'' witness, -lio wont tovthe'premof the' accused soon after midday. ■ ffhey saw Driscoll, and M'Cullongh"inf&djiced 'him as ,<i friend of .his working 'the' railway, 'as he 'refillj" was; then; '. : iOn.being introduced..witacss'was given a. ,'. 'Vaco. card by Driscoll..-M'GUHough put a on EaHyiDawn mth Driscoll, and ; rlvhiidw':.' him a pound iiote.. v '^y ~;!' > fj)nMolt that he would ; )s'ee' hvm next day',. - did go to ' the 'premises 8; When lie 7 again-. b,iw Driscoll. askpd Driscrtll- th'a.price of Wurs. v>. ,'i/.lpsr Sister and Kilynir;' in )i. , ''erantually Vltieas put. a pound 'oi'lhiw: iS-i'iig..'Sister. 'As he 'citing '.out' 6f'ilie:avr he saw Detective' Torranco;' •' Tprrance)sftid that'on Decern- *' ieij" r 'B 'lie saw Murphy go- up Singer's i 'Ayenue ftnd.OTter.tlio premises of, tho. -'3 f 66tesed, where he stayed for about threb : winutes.' On the sSme'day he aavr . Qt'Cuilough enter the sanijr-premiseS, but •V .v,~3ater; -■ . s Detective Holmes said ho knew' tno

'4\vo defendants and w-as familiar with ii.i.i/iKtheir.'preiliisos in Si rigor's Aventia: On !i-?T ldayir,'.when"raceS'_were- being held outside n>' ~ofijWellington: he-had iaade it his busi,ai€ss to bo.in-the neighbourhood, and 'liad soen numbers of pcoplo going through iwttte and returhiiig;. On December

; Baw M'Cullough go into th-o in the direction of tlio premises' accused and . return- from there. : .'-'j^^Wituess l immediately ivwiit to tho prein--r-.->ri«B- and executed"* search warrant. ' was in ' ,QUcl witness arrested him searched.him>: Driscolljuid his coat <wd whon,searched lft had- no-money his person,'Bui.there was over JSB in : '-/frf-V 1 ;? coat pocket . Jl'Ewen came, in later. ; ~L>}'rfPj}- nn< l wus also aud searched; .him T/a's'found over J3O. '••Drisepll to-witness,! "I turned it 1 up p"rgFlPf o you were/teire last," and. M'Eweh v ' '"-i'his is a,surprise." In searching. " ' '"th?.,. premises witiiess, found in one of the '/presses ■ .a : card '-o±! . ilua Woodville ;and oil- tho,, Ejdo.'.thrirp was. a ' ."'-"forilie" of a doublo raco'card.. Witness: - --'-called the attention., of tlio two accusVxt to this, and warned'them not to interfere with tho "forme," butlatei' ho I'onn'd ■ ■ the-typo upset. also fouiid a uiunber of racing cards, also four loiters with ■ tickets attached.' Tlio letters had Teferond<v''to racing matters. .-One hitter contained the-following see the books, art - smashed.-. Ebw will you got your • cosy money now F"' '; , i: l.o' J[r. O'leai'y.: Driscoll's printing .•.•awis not" tlio. only.- tius&ipg's located in, Singer's Avenue. Therij were several' .others in tho : -locality—probably about 1 pothers. /When he n>2nt to the nrein--'-.iaes-and '.smriDriswH ho told tlie latter .'that ho suspectcd' hirn. : of having mado ~ '.with a man v-lroMiad just-left, and' sv--:.'- •'•'Befoi'o .lij> 'searched hinr lie lold him ho to'lind. a -poiiha'-not} issuer by w-'.w-'tlSB-'BanJt of. Ne"w: Kealand. and. ntrad&ed %'-".';;:-"C79JoS. ' Witness "did not'find":the note ...i... and .lie : i)iad/j- : ;th'or6iigh' search of tlie • 'isSL premises.Ho '.fouiid.'-iio records of betl.'fiV. Detective Nuttall saift-'Wat ha ncconi--IJPS?,-'ca Detectivo Jtolmcs' oTi -December 3, •fe",isjijijp3-V.as3isted in ' the .search of the inen V ■ i V/iiur,tho premises, fife corroborated , ~ieVj,(lenco.'siren ''bj- . Holhies. Witness, saw M'Bweii upset t.h? "forme." 'X l \;'rt..'iv,is..dono'.d l elrtierately':. Tho; "forme" :.i'' ':was"in an elevated position on a frame, }~,*# anrJ_ r was-on a slight stand. ..M'Kwen was J ' fn deaf. ~-\" _ _ (lis closed., tho case ; for 'tlie prosecii- • -. -tion. ' •• n t J? ' ' ThS'-'DSfence.

th?- 'defence,' -Mr. -H. / F,*-OTeary" that th&'men ..should not bo conAt least'D.nscoU should, not lie ! s: '>l- : cbnvicto(l of'fcoeuihjr'jft.' common.' (raming !'•*£**' fidfose. The'promises'weTp .wed as a _vriiiiery; and respect'to. the. alleged ■ 'ii: doiiblo card -there: was no .corrolwrahve cvitlencn' that- il-wa§'jS6l"iu> fof ,a double a. rara. TIiR .orideiice 'of- Constables it Cul-fS'l-iifciiß-aml —.—flut-ion- relied—imon... and yEQI Jting»:rafaljffes Ravi e«Wt)nH) ffittaituJ.jQSSts UL [. wo'nihfoinijsini; ■ IbmM 'cWiln ifjfwsydend? t r 'thcao men.v Whoa-,-.probationorfl'. raro t out to? do' thisr'i¥ .vera ,iiot.. Eatisiied anu^uGnerally