TOTALISATOR TICKETS

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 164, 7 April 1921, Page 5

TOTALISATOR TICKETS

ALLEGED FORGERY OF THREE. Robert Fox was charged in the Magistrates’s Court yesterday, before Mr. H. W. Bundle, S.M., that on January 24 at Trentham he forged three J 25 totalwater tickets, and uttered the same to William Herbert Evutt. Detective Black appeared for the police, and Mr, A. B. Sievwright for the accused. William H. Evatt stated that on Jan-, uary 24 he was employed as pay clerk at the totalisator in connection with the races at Trentham. The totalisator tickets produced were far the last race on the last day of the meeting. At about 5.23 p.m. that day three tickets were presented at his window for payment. As they did not appear to be quite regular, witness told the person presenting them a moment. He closed the window and took the tickets to the officer in charge. The tickets were deciaxed to be forgeries, and on returning to the pay window witness discovered that the man who had presented them had disappeared. The tickets were genuine race tickets, but a number in the middle had been erased and the figure 7 substituted.. John Herbert Turner, who was also employed in the totalisator on the date in question, stated that the winner of tho last race that day was Automoana. .The tickets produced in Court \were genuine tickets for that particular race. Two and. a half days after the meeting 5J tickets wore still unpaid. Robert O’Brien, a builder and contractor, who was at the race meeting on January 24, stated that shortly after the last race he was standing in a queue waiting to be paid. His attention was attracted by the pay clerk scrutinising three tickets. The man immediately in front of him in the queue seemed to be somewhat nervous, and witness identified the accused as the roan. When told by the pay clerk to wait, the accused turned and bolted towards the train. Witney later saw him at the station, and again on the train. He next saw the'accused at the Riccarton races on Easter Monday, and pointed him out to the police, who arrested him.

To. Mr. Sievwright: He was quite positive as to the identity of the Accused.

Chief Detective M'llveney, of Christchurch stated that he saw the accused in the Canterbury Jockey Club’s office, The accused said that he was a labourer, and had attended a race meeting in January. He had taken a pound ticket on Automoana, but could not remember from which lx>x he had purchased it. Detective Black said that on March’29 in company with Detective Walsh, he searched accussed’s room in Jessie Street, but they found nothing except a number of papers indicating that the accused was a returned soldier. On March 31 the accused was shown the three forged tickets, 'but he refused to make anv statement. The accused pleaded not guilty, and was- committed to the Supreme Court for trial. Bail was allowed in one surety of .£lOO, or two of <£s6 each. ,