ASHBURTON.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3095, 30 May 1881, Page 3

ASHBURTON.

May 30,

On Saturday a man named John Goldburgh, a frequenter of racecourses, was brought before the bench charged under the Vagrant Act with being a rogue, and with having at the Tinwald steeplechase meeting on Friday swindled the public with a pretended game of chance. The evidence showed that the accused was playing with a box containing seven red and seven black and one white ball, laying even money against tbe chances of one of the red or black balls coming out of the orifice in box on lifting the shoe, and twelve to one against the white ball coming out. On being seized the box was found to be so made that a position of the shoe indicated to him the color of the ball in tbe orifice. On being searched a pack of stripped cards, a box and dice, and other gambling requisites were found on him. Mr Brandon, who appeared for the prisoner, urged that the course was not opened as a public place within the meaning of the Act, being the private property of Mr Carter. The Bench, after consideration, allowed the point raised, and the accused was discharged. The man Goldburgh, after being dismissed on Saturday on a charge of swindling at the races, was arrested immediately he left the Court on a charge of vagrancy, namely, having no lawful visible means of support. He was brought before the II.M. to-day, and remanded till to-morrow.