DOMINION NEWS.

Hokitika Guardian, 28 November 1927, Page 1

DOMINION NEWS.

(By Telegraph—Per Press Association.) WOMEN BOOKIES. AUCKLAND, Nov. 27. Beneath tile grandstand at Alexandra Park last Saturday afternoon, two women were “laying odds” with industry that would Lp'-o done credit to a male bookmaker. At one stage of the day. they were doing business with a crowd of 300 people gathered about them. The story of the operations was told at the Police Court, when the women Mary Smith and Hilda Jane Wigg pleaded guilty to charges of carrying on business as bookmakers. Chief-Detective Cummings said that accused were betting openly underneath the grandstand at Saturday's trotting meeting. At one time there was a crowd of 300 people around them. When Smith was arrested, she had a number of cards and a book with her and the indications were that she had a big business. ‘We lund no evidence of it,” ’said the Chief-Detective, “lml there is a suggestion that she was operating on behalf of another bookmaker.”

Continuing. Air Cummings said that the woman Wigg was working on a smaller scale, taking bets for 2s Cd and ss. On one race she had 30 bets entered.

“She is in poor circumstances,” said Mr Cummings, “and I have no reason to doubt the statement that Saturday was her first day out.

“She saw the other in fine clothes, and thought apparently, that she. too. would get rich quick.” . The Magistrate, Mr AY. It. AlcKcan: It. was rather impudent of them to he doing business underneath the grandstand. Mr Cummings mentioned that Smith had .been observed at a previous trotting meeting. Smith was fined CIO in default two months' imprisonment, and Wigg was fined CIO in default 21 days’ imprisonment.

THIEVES’ AI.TXED HAUL. ■CHRISTCHURCH. Nov. 20. The premises of the People’s Retail Market. Bath StreeT. were broken into in Friday evening and a grocer’s shop robbed of £3O worth of cigarettes and tobacco, and about los ill coppers. A butcher in the building lost a leg of mutton. A door was found to have icon forced. The thief or thieves miss'd a big stock of tobacco in the grocery store.

NAVAL RESERVES DIRECTOR. WELLINGTON, Nov. 25. Mr Roiloston says that Captain Aliddleton, newly appointed Director of Naval Reserves, has taken up his duties at AVellington, and is taking immediate steps to form a local division. Preference will lie given mercantile marine otlicers who served during the war.

DWE ELI X(r 1 )ERT.RO VED. CIS BORN” Nov. 20. On Saturday evening a, five-roomed house in Elm Street, Afangapapa, occupied by If. Lawson, and owned bv Miss N. AY. Cleave, was, with its contents, totally destroyed by (ire. ’I lie bouse was insured for £l5O in the Sun Office.

FILM ENTHUSIAST. WELLINGTON, Nov. 28. Captain Brass. ALP., who accompanies Air Amery as his Parliaments, ry secretary, is a film enthusiast. When ho set out from England with Mr Ajncrv and party. Captain Brass was armed with two movie cameras and 10.000 feet of film. Already he has expended about half that quantity. and lie lias yet to “slioot New Zealand and Canada. Captain Brass spoke with enthusiasm of the films already developed. They have boon so successful that- lie fools that several more thousand feet will be used in New Zealand. IDs object is to lecture when be returns from Now Zealand, so tbe Dominion will receive free publicity from this ' isi

When in the House of Commons, Captain Brass, who has sat lor three Parliaments —lie was first- elected in ]f)oo is Parliamentary secretary to tbo Alinister for Health Afr Neville Chamberlain, a brother of Sir Austen Chamberlain. Secretary for State lor Foreign Affairs. Captain Brass bad the unique distinction —and lie is very proud of it. of wresting a- Lancashire seat from the Labour Party after it had been in their possession for 42 years. Tt was a notable achievement, and, what is more lie has kept it ever since.

During the war Captain Brass served both in France and with the Air Force. lie is particularly interested in air matters and discussed Australia s problems with the authorities while in that country. New Zealand’s possibilities in this respect-, said Captain Brass, would engage bis attention while travelling through the Dominion. young man killed. WELLINGTON, Nov. 28. A young man. AY in. Nimmo. fell lietwee n carriages at Plimmerton on Saturday evening and was killed instantly. He was only 21 and intended staying at the seaside. The accident is stated to have occurred through Nimmo leaving the train while it was still in motion.

A number of other week-end accidents are also reported. Clias. ltawlinson. aged 75, an inmate of the Homo of Compassion, dozed off while smoking in a dormitory in the grounds, set the bedding alight and was severely burned.

A small hoy, J. Pointon. aged eight years was knocked down by a lorry which passed over Kith legs and indicted serious injuries.

Reg. Case, a child of seven, pulled a motor cycle over and broke his left log. The lever of a motor cycle broke and threw the driver, AY Harrison and a passenger, Chas Neilson. 21, to the ground. The. later was badly hurt and had to undergo an operation and his condition is serious. Harrison was injured about the head.

CYCLIST INJURED. AUCKLAND, Nov. 28. As a result of a collision between two motor cycles at Otahulm on Sunday, Henry George Stephen Shepherd, 53, of ITowick. died at the hospital. The other cyclist Ernest Rodgers, of Remuera. escaped uninjured. AIOTOR CYCLIST KILLED. AUCKLAND. Nov. 2G. A fatal accident occurred at Otahuliu at mid-day, when an elderly man riding a motor eycle collided with another motor cyclist. He sustained a fractured skull, and died on admission to the hospital. Deceased’s identity has not yet been established,