Teaching the Magistrates.

Manawatu Standard, Volume X, Issue 1, 8 May 1885, Page 2

Teaching the Magistrates.

Detective Kirby appeared m the witness, box the other day (says the Timaru correspondent of the Lyttelton Times) to jrive evidence agaiust two chevaliers d' lndustrie who had been carrying on an under-and-over business on, the racecourse.. He gave a rapid but clear explanation of the little game, and .showed how much the odds were against the public and m favour of the proprietors. The Bench listened, but they could not decide without ocular demonstration andtbedeiectivethereuponproeeededto play an imaginary game with the appliance which he had confiscated Him skill struok the beholders dumb with admiration, and all the Justices of the Peace have since engaged him to teach them the game. "Under and over" will wile away the winter evenings, and, besides, they will gain practical knowledge, and that is a great matter. The defendant's counsel who cross-examined the detective very severely, asked him whether he saw people playing and being victimIse«l 7 when the officer rapped out, "Ybb I saw lots of people trying their luck. I say you, for one V Of course everybody laughed, the Court nearly rolled off its chair, and the crier actually exploded, while a pretty flush of embarrassment coloured the bronzed cheek of the lawyer, and he grinned a ghastly grin.