EUCHRE TOURNAMENTS

Hokitika Guardian, 24 July 1925, Page 4

EUCHRE TOURNAMENTS

QUESTION OF LEGALITY. 1\ lAG J STB AT E !' ES EH VKS DECISION. CHHISTCIiniCH. July 22. The legality of tiie euchre touriiuuienis which have heeu running for some months in the Caledonian Mall was (|ti(>stiu;ietl in the .Magistrate’s Court, when two of the tournament promoters were charged with keeping a common gaining house. The first charge was preferred against James Blackburn, who was charged with having used the Caledonian Hall as a common gaming house on .1 uly Ist. The second charge was laid against Reginald Stillwell. who used the hall under similar circumstances on June UOth. Chief Detective Gibson prosecuted ; .Mr Thomas appeared far Blackburn, and .Mr M. J. (Ircssini for Stillwell. Chief Detective Gibson said that the ease was laid under the (laming Act lor the purpose of deciding the legality of euchre tournaments. Everybody was admitted to the tournaments, and there there was no control over partners. The cards were cut on trumps, and the games, in the hall were finished when the games at the king table were decided, and a hell was rung. If four players were o!|iud. they cut to decide who moved on. It was not submitted that euchre was an unlawful game, bn! that it was unlawful as played in these tournaments. William Henry White caretaker ol the Caledonian Hall, said that ho knew’ the defendant, and gave the dates upon which Blackburn used the hall, lie d“lailcil the methods of < eiiduct ing the tournaments, and said that sometimes tip to g.-;0 people attended at the Caledonian Halt. Tim prizes were dHriImtod on the night of the tournaments, and included such things as crockery, blankets, sheets and furniture. A piano was thi' highest prize oflored by Ulacktiurii. and a motor-car the highest prize offered hv Si illwell. To .Mr Thomas: Often the same mimes appeared cm the prize list week alter week.

In your opinion does skill count in these tournaments f (Vri a inly • The conduct of Blackburn's tournaments is good? \cs. Chief-Detective Gibson: Aero yeti present when there wa- a dispute hotween Blackburn and a .Mr e-i illwell r There was- not a dispute. H was merely it mat ter of explu nation. Acting-Detectin' Gaugesou said ihal on July Ist. with Acting-Detective Mavim iie attended a euchre tournament al the (Tiled niian Hall. He pan! tis and whs given a ticket, which was u i! as a scoring earth II a man wished to have any particular holy lor a purl nor he could arrange matters accordingly. Games were commenced by lhe riirduo ol ;t hell and Iho ladies on! for deal’ The cards were then dealt in the ordinary wav. V he’d was rung oil the king table ami that marked the end of the games. The winners’ cards were then punched and !'- men moved on to the next Invest numbered table, and the bulb's moved on to the nest 11 ig*J * - esi numbered table. On tlial night tne defendant announced that he would "ive special prizes Pi four lucky tables. Numbers were drawn from a container, and lhe people at the larky tables cut for the prises, winch were jugs. .Him the night’s play, lib ekhnrn called out for the higlm-i cards, and the lour persons with ’J- nips had to play nil <>" the stage. The winners were Mr MWicker. Mr Wallace. Mr Mammois and Mrs MTann. The prizes were a £lO |0- order, a bicycle, £5 older amt tw< blankets. Chi-f-lletei tin? Gibson : Did you have i.nv coiitr I over partners Did anvlhilig happen at your tah.c one night ?■- Vos. I had a k".v ”n.ps and Hi- man silling at my iah.e s:.ui : “Will haven’t got any cornice. but I j!, e.\- ab:;;it giving*me your nipsf” This surprised me. Mj- Tho'iuis ; Did you 1" : l 1 "',i'n:inieiit in Sydenham? I s. H was a l ; . v !iu:r club tournament Yen had h 'lter luck I hear ' es.

Yml got the prim- I. Do you know of evil resulting H'nm (lie-,, tournament*- ! loeie Is .1 e .tain amount c.l ill-leeling. Euchre is a game of skill? Ton must know Ha' cards. When you won at Sydenham won't „j.,s did you get ? 1 got -JO out ol o--and I haven’t played lor years: Were you first ?-No. second. I won

il Mill. . .. Acting-Detective Mayne gave similar evidence. This dosed the rase for Hie prosecution. Mr Thomas called no evidence but made some legal subinissions. lie said that eiielire was not an illegal gatin' in Ximv Zealand, although it was illegal in England. The wnole finest ion was whether the playing.ol euchre const itlit a niiisanc" at eonimon law. In regard to the lucky table competition he"eniild only ray that two swallows did not make a summer. It could not he said that this made the hall a common gaming house. The Magistrate reserved his decision. The case agiiist Reginald Stillwell was 1 lieu heard and the evidence was (he same with the exception that there was no lucky table. Mr G res.- -ui made legal submissions and add.d that the people wlm nlteuden (lie (ourtinimmls did let do any harm In themselves. They paid *_’s or ‘Js (id out ranee fee. had a night’s enjoyment, ami had a chance of w inning a prize. "There ia it mil he anything evil in euchre win'll tlial watch dog of public llloral-s, the Cnuiiei! of Christian C"iit*rogations, has not taken any nctiwti,” he said ill eoiiehision. Decision wa.s also reserved in ibis rase.