THE PRICE HE PAID.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXIX, Issue 1753, 17 November 1917, Page 2

THE PRICE HE PAID.

FRASER SENTENCED TO TWO YEARS. The final stage of the notorious betting conspiracy case was dealt with at the Wellington. Supreme Court on Thursday, when Frederick Campbell Fraser was brought up for sentence. Fraser was found guilty of conspiring, with other persons unknown, to defraud certain book-: makers, also on six counts of having attempted to obtain money by false pi’etcnces by means of false telegrams. Mr P. W. Jackson said that Fraser was a young man in the prime of life, who, up to the present, had led a clean and sober life. With the exception, perhaps, of a weakness for gambling, his life had been straight and honourable. Fraser had been a dutiful sou, and for some years past had been the sole support of his mother, who without his help would be entirely destitute; at the mercy of the world. No doubt his weakness for racecourse gambling had been Fraser’s downfall, and it seemed to have warped his mind, No doubt he had become imbued with the idea of “getting rich quick,” but no man yet had made money by gambling. Counsel asked his Honour to extend the utmost leniency —probation, if possible—to Fraser, and pointed out that any punishment which might be inflicted would weigh heavily on both Frasei* and his parent. Since the proceedings had been instituted the latter had suffered agony of mind and body, and the lesson he had learned would last him until the end of his day's. The Chief Justice said he deeply regretted to see Fraser in his present position, and was also sorry he could not grant probation. He had many times pointed out to people who had come before him in Court that if they chose to enter the wit-, ness box 'and make statements which were untrue they must be prepared to be suspected of false morality, and even criminal instinct.; This Fraser had done. He may havq thought it was not his duty to “gives away” those who had been associ-. ated with him —not necessarily those men who had been tried with him —and against whom the jury had found, and perhaps found rightly, that there was no clear evidence. Fraser having gone into the box and stated what had been proved to be untrue, could not be treated as a man of good character. He (his Honour) was sorry to see Fraser where he was. According to Mr M’Villy’s report to the police ho was a young man who had been attentive to his work, who had done good work, and who had good prospects. But he had ruined his life, had dashed his future to the gro-T und, and for what? Not for sport, but on account of a gambling propensity', which was a canker wherever it existed. His Honour added that he had seen a good deal of life in the colony, and in all his 53 years’ experience he had known of only one man who had made any money by gambl-. ing, and he did not last long. Compared with those who made money by hard work, thrift, and intelligence, the number of those who made money by gambling was extremely limited. People might want sport and they should have amusement, and he would not say that they could not get amusement by watching horses race; but if it had to exist by its connection with gambling, then the community would be wise to abolish it altogether, Fraser in betting at totalisator odds for some time must have known that he was doing wrong. He could not deal with Fraser as a first offender, but at the same time was not going ito deal harshly with him. He recognised that Fraser had done his duty to his mother. His Honour added that, in order that the case might come before the Prisons Board, which might or might not grant him probation, he would sentence Fraser to two years’ reformative detention, and would recommend that he should be sent to Kaingaroa, where he would have to work in the open air. “I am sorry for you, Fraser,” he concluded, “but I can do no more,” “I thank your Honour,” said Fraser, as he left the dock.