BOOKMARKERS FINED

Dominion, Volume 28, Issue 86, 5 January 1935, Page 15

BOOKMARKERS FINED

Betting in Hotel Bars

Charged with carrying on business as a bookmaker, Arthur Vowles, aged 54, a steward, appeared before Mr. W. F.’ Stilwell, SAI., at the Magistrate’s Court yesterday, and was convicted and fined £25, in default two months. Detective-Sergeant T. Y. Hall, who prosecuted, stated that for some time accused had haunted hotel bars and public places, and had been making bets with people. Although these bets had all been small, and accused had not been taking any considerable quantities of money, he had been previously convicted on a like charge, and had no attempt since to obtain any honest work. Accused was given a month’s grace in which to pay the fine. Another man, Horace George Symons, was charged with using the bar at the Duke of Edinburgh Hotel as a common gaming house. The police evidence disclosed that, for the past nine months, Symons had been employed as a barman, and had been taking bets and passing them on to another person whose name was not disclosed. Only one betting-slip had been found in the bar by detectives, but there was also a “Form at a Glance” card indicating starters at the Auckland races.

Mr.- J. Meltzer, for the defence, said that defendant had made bets solely to oblige customers at the bar, and had done it only on a very small scale. There was no suggestion that he was doing it for a living; on the contrary, he was making nothing at all out of it. Symons was convicted and fined £l2/10/-. Other Cases Charged with having assaulted Walter Ridgeway at Palmerston North, and with failing to comply with the terms of his release on probation, Henry Heeley Bryant Maunder, aged 20, plasterer, was remanded until January 11.

Facing the serious charge of having committed rape on a young girl at Koro Koro, a man of 57, William Thomas Stoneman, described as a labourer, was remanded until January 9. A charge of being found on licensed premises after hours, brought against Benjamin Orwell, a ship’s fireman, was withdrawn as accused had left the couutry.