AMATEUR BOOKMAKER

New Zealand Times, Volume XLIV, Issue 10286, 22 May 1919, Page 7

AMATEUR BOOKMAKER

MAGISTRATE'S REMARKS UN PETONE CASE. ,

In the Petone Magistrates Court, yesterday. before-:,Mr Frazer, ,b.M., a rather unusual, case.occupied hi t®Wr-, tion. ,i ... Charles..,,Oates,.,a.married,.man with several children,. who works, for tke Gear Meat Company .at' Petone, was ohaiged: (1) “That, on April 2nd, being a bookmaker, did bet on the licensed premises of _ the VlO- - Hotel, Petone”;' and (.2; “That, on the . same date, did publicly exhibit ' a certain document, to wit, .a doubje card,, which, contained a notification as to betting on horse„ races, held at Christchurch on April 21st and 22nd, to wit, the Great Easter and Great Autumn Handicaps.” He pleaded guilty ;to -both charges. - . , . , Sergeant Bird, who- prosecuted-, asked that - the first charge be deleted, and.this' was agreed to by Mr Frazer. In outlining the case, the sergeant said that Cates was’ a respectable man. with a large' family, -and was caught by a constable exhibiting a double card (produced) in’the bar of the Victoria Hotel. ' “Afterwards,” said the sergeant, “Cates came around, to see me, .and , admitted thcWholß.-' f acts.- He - - was very- truthful over the matter, arid it was bis first'“try out” in the particular line. , . . , , “Have you anything to say i Mr Frazer said to Cat<j». ~ .. . . “Yes, Your Worship, I admit the whole thing,” was the reply. “It was my first shot-at r.the game, and -1 thought I could make-a little money with tbe card.” '•* ! . -,.w ; t „ The card;- which;rWas not a. printed 'one, was handed to the magis-■ trate for his perusal. . “This’is a queer'way of doing Business, not receiving money for t your transaction,” said Mr- Frazer, when told by Cates that, he had hooked several “doubles” “without receiving any money. “If ’ you' at© is simple ..as that you shouldn't start bookmaking.” 1 ‘Now, I’ll tell you’ something , for your own good,” Mr Frazer said. “You might wonder why you can participate in a sweep of>-20 persons,' and ; yet you are not allowed'by "law to run a double card. - A double is' proprie-' tary, or benefits one man _onl5 r , the bookmaker, but. the sweep is legal because no one has any special interest. In other words, bookeying is capitalistic. while a sweep is co-operative.”, A laugh went around the court when Mr Frazer made these remarks. “Yon know, you are liable to a fine of £100,” said the magistrate, “but I don’t think your case warrants such a penalty as that. I don’t want to be rough on a .man who is honest and tells the truth,, as to plead not guilty and have , a number- of witnesses, which .often tends to perjury. But 1 will have to inflict 5 a fine as the law directs in such cases. You will be fined £o and costs.” “Can you give me time to payr " Catos asked the magistrate., . “Yes.” he remarked, “you can arrange that with the sergeant.” Sergeant Bird : “That , will be all right, Your Worship. Ho is all right." ,