OH! NORMAN!

NZ Truth, Issue 1192, 4 October 1928, Page 5

OH! NORMAN!

Big Odds Turn Out Wrong Qdds (From- "N.Z. Truth's" 'Christchnrch \ -J--' Rep.)' i-Judging ;from . .outvyard. -appear* -. artce's, -Norman William Robinson f is.'a::shrewd and successful young business man. DUT you can't always judge a book by its cover. To supplement his ordinary income from- a successful mercery and men's outfitting business, Norman embarked In the illicit profession of "wool broking" and eventually found himself m the position of one of those of whom somebody once said there was one born every minute. Norman's odds were a bit crook— £.4 to Jl/-— -with over a thousand chances on the card, and probably he would not have had to pay the stake | to the Crown had he acquainted himself.'beforehand with the principal officers of the law. In a billiards saloon, the happy hunting-ground of the small fry bookies, Norman plied his, business. But he committed a shocking faux pas when he invited Detective Young to speculate a shilling on the result of the New Zealand Cup arid the New Zealand Trotting Cup. *To use his own words, "I made a —fool of myself," Jußt about sums up the situation, so through Lawyer Sar- ' gent Norman pleaded guilty to publishing a double chart. It. was whispered by Chief- detective Carroll that Norman was a reputed bookmaker , a remark which raised counsel's ire, but the oourt gave Norman the .benefit of the doubt and regarded him as a riovioe. With the Cups yet a month away, Norman finds himself In the unique position of being landed by the Crown, but the odds were a bit longer— £4 to nothing.

He hadn't a full book, as only thirtytwo chances had been laid.