TRAPPED BY HIMSELF.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLIX, Issue 3848, 22 September 1928, Page 3

TRAPPED BY HIMSELF.

CHRISTCHURCH “BOOKIE.” AN UNKNOWtN DETECTIVE. Christchurch, Sept. 20. Having offered a double chart to Detective- Sergeant Young in-a billiard saloon, Norman William Robinson found himself in the Magistrate’s Court to-day. He was charged that on the 14th September he published a double chart for betting on the New Zealand Trotting Cup and the New Zealand Cup. The accused! pleaded guilty. Chief-Detective Carroll said that the accused had approached Detec-tive-Sergeant Young for a bet. The Detective-Sergeant had visited a billiard' saloon, and happened to be sitting next to the accused, who after producing the double chart and offered it to a man on his other side, invited the detective to have a bet. “The Detective-Sergeant was quite willing to have a bet,” continued the Chief-Detective amid suppressed laughter. “He took the card and asked what the odds were. He was told that they were £4 to 1/-. Thir-ty-two bets were already on the chart, and if the accused had got clear he would have cleared about £SO. He has been under suspicion for some time.”

Mr. Sargent, who appeared for the accused, objected to the last remark. ‘The Chief-Detective continued that what he was about to say might be in the accused’s favour. When he knew that he had 'approached a detective he said that he had “made a blank fool of himself.” Robinson was fined £4, with costs.