TWO-UP

Gisborne Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2092, 29 May 1907, Page 3

TWO-UP

RECENT WELLINGTON RAID

The Wellington correspondent of the Auckland Star contributes the following to his paper under date Alay 21st: —Some time ago the Post published an article on two-up schools which caused flutter in the ranks of patrons of this particular form of gambling, and elaborate precautions were taken to prevent access to the schools by strangers. Detectives have more than once paid a, visit to the schols, knowing perfectly well that they were being carried on in contravention of the law, but the stringent precautions adopted proved too much for the wily “tecs,” who, on entering, discovered that, only innocent forms of athletics were being indulged in. Some considerable sums of money have been won and lost every afternoon and night at these schools. Two men lost £IOO a few weeks ago, and another started at the same institution with 10s, and Wound up with a credit balance ,of £6O. Sometimes as much as £2O has beeq wagered'on a single throw, and, especially when racing men are in town, very heavy bets are made. The day habitues of the establishment are chiefly undesirable characters, but at night there is more than a sprinkling of more respectable individuals—bank clerks, shop assistants, accountants, working men, young lads. A curious feature of these two-up schools is that in some instances the proprietors appear to have been carrying on their illegitimate business with the full ‘knowledge of adjacent shopkeepers. The lessor of one establishment consulted the police and his. solicitor as to the validity of the lease to tho persons who had put the premises to such an illegal use, but he was advised that he had no remedy. One big school has been run by an ex-pugilist, and Sunday was always regarded as the best day for operations in the matter of attendance of patrons. On a moderate calculation the proprietors have been raking in the respectable income of over £IOO a week; and their three months’ tenure of the premises is calculated to have brought them in over £BOO a piece.

INCIDENTS OF THE RAID,

Last night, just before tho hour of midnight tolled, there was an unrehearsed scene at one of tho largest two-up schools which was productive of “sixty-six up.” It was tho biggest haul yet mado by the police during their many raiding expeditions in tiiis city. Chief-Detective . AlcGrath, accompanied by Detectives Broberg, Cassells, Connolly, Rawle, Lewis, and Williams, Sergt. Rutled go, and half-a-dozen constables, made their way along the dark little il-loy leading to a staircase over which an institution purporting to be a sort of school for physical culture was situated, and found that the “school of physical culture” was indulging in an “open-door policy.” The chain used to bar the door was not secured, and the lock was not shot. The moment the officers pushed into the room there was considerable consternation among some of tlie occupants. ? There was a thick haze of tobacco smoke in the apartment, and the faces of tlie “scholars” were scarcely discernible in the haze. Jho “students” wero so surprised that they forgot to perform gymnastic feats with the solitary Indian club that’ luing from a wall, the.couple of pairs of boxing gloves, and tlio feu other articles associated with manly sport. There was a rush by the timid; they groped blindly for an egress, but there was none. The invaders occupied the strategic points; there was no passing the grim guards till bail had been offered. Inspector Ellison waited to reccivo deposits of £5 or sureties for that amount,\and it was two in the morning before tlie last “pupils” found.money enough or security tq let him go home, and await the hour of ten this morning, the time fixed for the appearances at- Court.

BEFORE TEH COURT,

Tlio Court was packed to suffocation when the defendants made tjieir appearance before Dr. AlcArthur. The proceedings seonied to have a strange fascination for all classes of the community. Li three or four rows the defendants stood, flanking one wall, between the Magisterial bench and tlie public portion of tho Court. They wore all sort sand sizes, from youths up to middle-agod men, of various nationalities—English, Irish, Scotch, French, Swede;- German, Italian. By the time that the case was fairly under way, tlie body of the Court was packed by the curious, who surged even among tho solicitors’ tables, and Sub-Inspector O’Donovan had to mount a chair, arid keep order with an eye that awed the unruly. “He’s ill in bod,” remarked a solicitor, when: the name-of one defendant was called. “He’d better get up,” commented the magistrate, and "the Court giggled. \ • “He hasn’t time to get a doctors

s certificate,” rosumod tlio lawyer. : “I’ll havo a good look at that certificate,” said Dr. AlcArtlntr. Finally all tho defendants niul McNamara, tho proprietor of tho “school,” pleaded not guilty, and on tho application of Air. AVilford, who appeared for 61 of the defendants, and AtcNamnra, tho case was adjourned until Monday. Ono of tho men charged said to a friend that a traitor had given tho show away, and that had the police got on the job on a Sunday night, tho numbor of thoir charges last ovening would havo been increased to over 800. Tho raided establishment was loasod about tluce months ago to Sidney AtcNamnra, a youngish man, who said ho wanted it as a gymnasium—a plnco for legitimate harmless recreation. For some time, however, tho polieo havo had the room under suspicion. They boliovod that it was used ns a two-up school, and approached the landlord, requesting him to give his tenant notice to quit. Tho landlord said he had consulted his solicitor, and the result, was that he decided to let the lease expire, for he had no ovidonce that the tenant was doing wrong, and was therefore liable to be sued for damages by the tenant for breach of contract. Ho preferred to lot the police get the necessary evidonco. However, the lease liad only about a week to run, and then AlcNamara’s tenancy of the premises would como to a close. A frequenter of the two-up schools declared to tho Star representative that the recent raid by tho police would not have the slightest effect in decreasing tho number of two-up schools, or that of their patrons.