POLICE RAID

Hokitika Guardian, 16 July 1932, Page 6

POLICE RAID

ON SYDNEY GAMING HOUSE.

RADIO SET IN FORK OF TREE!

MELBOURNE, July 7

How a radio set fixed in the fork of a-tree gave 'race results to a crowd of 150 men gathered in a gulden between two factories in .West Melbourne, and how bets were accepted and lists of odds were tacked on a board, was told by the police in a gaming case l at the Melbourne City Court.

Arthur Phillips, charged with having acted in the conduct of a common gaming house', was fined £SO. An amount of £lB 10s alleged by the police to be betting money found in the possession of Phillips was. ordered to be confiscated.

Having climbed over a fence and dropped into the garden from the branches of mulberry tree;' Constable W. Swinger told the Court that he saw Phillips standing at a table on which there were betting sheets and money passed and tickets were handed to men in the ca'owcl. A list of betting prices in the' 4.5 pm. race that day was tacked on a board. Phillips accepted several bets and handed tickets to men in the crowd.

There was a call on the telpehone, said Constable Swinger, and Senior Constable Thorburn answered. A man’s voice l said: “Two bob each way on Tbrawn.” We told him the bet would not be on, as the police were speaking, the constable added. “He said, ‘All right.’ I took Phillips into tlie enclosure behind the house and lie put £lB 10s 6d ou a table. That amount tallied with the amount shown on the betting sheets.”