ACTED IN IGNORANCE.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXVII, Issue 4930, 25 January 1926, Page 4

ACTED IN IGNORANCE.

MAN WHO RAFFLED GOLD WATCH CASE AT WAIHI. Somewhat unusual circumstances surrounded a charge of conducting a lottery which was preferred against M. J. Devitt at the Waihi Police Court on Tuesday laisjt. It was alleged that-Devitt, during the la,st week in October, at Aongatete, disposed of a gold watch and chain and pendant by this means.

The senior-sergeant said a mam had been arrested at the other end of the Dominion, and had been found to have the watch in question in liis possession. He had explained that the man who wished .to get rid of it could not get his price, so conceived the idea of raffling it. It wai-v a good watch, and although Devitt got £lO for it it was worth much more. Ten tickets of £1 each had been taken in the raffle. Several of the ticketholders were to be charged with aiding and abetting. Mr AV. M. Jackson, who appealed for Devitt, said that accused, who was in hospital at Tauranga, had written him a letter stating that the position was that an old couple who were in very straitened circumstances ha,d sold the watch to him for £lO. He had raffled it with a view to getting his £lO back and giving them whatever was left over . It was not a fseriOius offence, counsel contended, if the man’s letter was to be believed. Devitt was, trying to help someone else. The charge had arisen only as a result of investigations made by the police in another case. Accused had said he did not know he had been doing wrong, and that he had seen similar lotteries conducted before.

The magitsrate said he thought the offence was, due to ignorance. A nomnial penalty would therefore be imposed. Accused would be convicted and fined £1 and costs. —“Telegraph.”