Alleged Gambling in Wellington.

Manawatu Herald, Volume III, 18 February 1890, Page 2

Alleged Gambling in Wellington.

♦ • '. FIFTEEN MEN ARREST. B. Suspicion hr <? been entertained by the police for some time that gambling was carried on pretty extensively in a good many shops in this city. On Saturday evening, accordingly, an organisad raid was made on the tobacconist shop in Manners-street occupied by Henry Burton, with the result that Burton himself (and fourteen others were arrested. The observant public seeing Detective Kirby go into the shop, followed by Constable Doyle, Oliver, and Eedican, gather lound the shop in great number, in anticipation of seeing the law's representatives and its victims come out of the the shop, the latter possibly linked hand-in-hand. The detective, however, took his prisoners out the back way, leaving over a thousand eager spectators to crowd Manners-street. Detective Kirby and three constables entered the shop at half-past nine, and the detective accosting Burton (who was behind the counter) told him he had a warrant to search the place, there beiug reason to suspect that gambling was carried on there. Upon hearing this, Burton darted to the back door, opened it, and ran upstairs, shouting that " the detectives were in the house." The officers follow his lead upstairs, and, on going into the back room on the first floor, found there 13 or 14 men all standing up and evidently excited. The furniture » o f the room consisted ot a long table and gome forms The floor of the table was padded with sacking, baize; and American cloth ; and the room floor was covered with cocoanut matting. There are two windows in the room — one looking out on the back yard and the other overlooking Cornhill-street. Venetian blinds screened the former from the gaze of the prying multitude, aud blinds and a^ blanket were up at the one overlooking the street. On the table was a dice box (also padded), aud a search resulted in two dice being found on the floor, one hidden under the matting. The men in the room were at once arrested and brought down to the Central Station along with the pro 1 prietor. The latter will be charged with being the keeper of a common gaming house. The others will be charged with frequenting a gaming house, and their namts are — Wil* liam Collive, Arthur Eberle, George Allen, Clarence W. Irvine, Thomas McCallum, Charles Auderson, John Scott, Alexander McGregor, John Adair, Isaac Jackson. Richard McCleary; George Nightingale, James McGrath, and William King. On the way down one of the accused, being the proud possessor of a small wrist slipped his handcuffs and achieved sweat liberty. The probability is, however, that he will be arraigned along with his companions at the Resident Magistrate's Court this morning. At present all the ac* cused are out on bail, having obtained sureties on Saturday night N. Z. Times.