ALLEGED BOOKMAKER.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLIX, Issue 3752, 9 February 1928, Page 2

ALLEGED BOOKMAKER.

VERDICT OF NOT GUILTY.

Auckland, February 8,

The jury failed to convict on a charge of bookmaking preferred in the Supreme Court to-day against Harry Marks. The indictment referred to bets allegedly made after accused’s conviction for bookmaking toward the end of April last. Mr. Justice Blair heard the case. William Henry Bonner, a tobacconist, said he had had several bets which" he detailed with accused, and had been paid when he won, with the exception of an occasion in August last when he took a winning “double” at 5/- to £2O on Beau Cavalier and Wh&rnciiffe in the Grand National Steeplechase and Hurdles at Christchurch. The “double” had been taken when Marks had come to witness’s tobacconist shop and asked him “what he fancied.” Witness had not paid his 5s at the time, but later, and the transaction was then recorded by Marks in a notebook. When witness 0 some time after the races approached accused and asked him when he was going to “weigh in” Marks had replied “When I please,” but had never paid.

Counsel submitted for the defence ..that Marks had done no bookmaking since his conviction last winter. He had lost his money in an initial venture. Bonner had been an agent for accused’s in his bpokmaking days and owed him money. It was repayment of part of this which had been mistaken for a betting transaction in August. After a retirement of three-quar-ters of an hour, the jury returned a verdict of not guilty.