RINGERS-IN SENTENCED.

Hokitika Guardian, 23 May 1924, Page 4

RINGERS-IN SENTENCED.

(ill! ISTC'iI UUC 11. May 22. In ; •lilelteiug the men found guilty n. liag ng iu charge*.. Justice \datns. in t .'viewing the All Smoke ease, said the p; isoivrs had had a patient trial, able deb-ir e by counsel, and careful •■* i;siueratio!i by the jury. Tile jury had no doubt wish'd lo inal'e a distortion in regard to Tucker. Tin* intent of the jury v.;*-. :e:;>u:ab!r clear. Hint all lie Tucker eouhl not altogether lie dissociated, he v.; s not involved as iiU’eli as Capes and Williamson. lie was in t di-Mi-cd to main* any tin distiiu non between C. j|. Capes and Williaifs'in. !utv. ever, altltoitgli the Euiitis ea-■• si ov.cd that C. 11. Cam s ■•'a- lh" rile; leader. ’I be oli’eiu *s were serious mils .••od v.ere so regarded hv law. He could i-aii. give any weight to the gtoncuie: of eoitp.sel that the l risoneis did tr.t tca ID" i i v. as a criminal idlenee. I: we*, ever net-essaiy for :t net- iu to know v.liat was done was punivliae!.* by c-iiminal law. ’(here v.*:*:; no d..u!d lie* Iren would 'I t tik-;* ii*; run jcualties Hillside tinCourt' •*e- *: i :i ■ as, bei the Courl cotilil tail til!' -.'. ; L:*t to run!.** any difference. No (I obi the trot ling officials t'ouhi do their duly attd disqualify llt" men. at:*! the hor* *s for life. With regard to the le*t *. s. it was difficult to l.no" -.-by the enimals as well as t!|(* *.;ilio|e«! |• II 1 : beings .should be punished, v. hen Ihe lmr-es v.ere used mdy as an insirumetil. But thal was mu for Id; I. It Was ion late for the

pri-nm*i(. raise the qic-sli m of family. It v. as exceedingly pci'd'ul for a .! 11 .1 • ■. • to disregard cii*,*iim: lam-cs o' hardship, v.hen v omen and child •*> urn* : fleeted by -ill'* ‘CO t cm os for e imiiud acts. was the fluty ef the Cestrl, however, to inino-.e the nop**.* ] eiialty for the crime. THE S'ENTENChS. The -Ltd '*• said I .* |.*ga-d *'l Timhor’s <*as** a! A •!■■!- la:, 1 «l**;i11 v di't itigiiisli- :*!,|(*. :• o• | ordered im; risnnmcut l*>r • iIM ui !l-.. Williams*,;! was i*ivc!v*.*l l*i a ;*renter extent, attd was n ! an employee o' fa*.:-:. Us* was in '. ,*. '.! **.! and drove the lmr* * and -, a; ai'-'afeif.-y n party t*: t'f* vroce-diu.g*. ‘‘l don't think the eirctim dance*, are :-.*ty diffett lii in ra-ge-1 ;*i C:*.**cs and Williamson.” said bis I f(,!>*i:tr. “and o:vh ' ill Fa sen-U-tieed to 18 t.ioitth; intl.-ri-t:nh-nt on each clta.i'ge." RINGERB AND NON-TRIERS. Age.in in tin* Euliu*: r:a:* the pri-ou-ers had a :*-*-*D.I trial and ilmre w::« I*.: ivasenable d.udir. thal the jury's verdict was in a<*<orda.u e v.iih tin* '*vi'l**;i e. !'nir,s(*! had said that racing pi*(’vn!:".l s; *.*• i -1 I'aeiliti;*; for ( times of tlris character, and that '.-'|unll\" se'iou.s crinus were indtilged in by ap;ar,.j!ll*.* :*.*syectable individuals which ditferetl little if at all— fr-m tli<>-<* of the prisoners. As to that he did not know. If it v rs a battle of wits and everv r''-’-*."--table and ;c*spi tt'thh* owner considered that it was not fraud to not run a horse to win. it wtts a tact

to bo deplored. -If this state of affairs did exist, it' threw a strong light on tile practices, and dangers to the public in regard to racing in the Dominion. It was an argument for the extension of the powers to the law to include these cases. Tucker’s case was much the same, continued bis Honour, and that prisoner was sentenced to nine months’ imprisonment-, concurrent with the previous sentence.

With regard to C. H. Capes, he was the moving spirit in both cases. A number of the documents would have been written by others if he had not been the lender of the conspiracy. He was sentenced to six mouths’ imprisonment, cumulative with the previous sentence, making two years in all.

. n regard to W. I’. Capes, it will impossible to disregard the facts that lie had the knowledge of what was happening in regard to AYillie Lincoln, and ho would he sentenced to twelve months’ imprisonment.

Hulston had a previous conviction ten or eleven years ago of receiving stolen property and had then received two years’ reformative treatment. His Honour could not take a light view of TTulston’s acts in the conspirnov and the prisoner was sentenced to eighteen months’ imprisonment.