RAIDED BY POLICE

Opotiki News, Volume II, Issue 257, 10 November 1939, Page 4

RAIDED BY POLICE

U,S. GAMBLING SHIR POLICE BOARDING PARTY SANTA MONICA, Aug. 2.—Five hundred gamblers spent last night marooned oil board a gambling ship named Rex, anchored out,side the threemile limit off the Californian coast. Government agents who tried to hoard the vessel were roughly repulsed by the owner, a former convict named Cornero, who trained hoses on a boatload of’ officers. The evening’s gambling was in progress,'with the tables crowded with jjatroiiSj all in evening dress, when a look-out on deck spied police boats approaching. As the craft drew alongside, Cornero shouted to the officers to keep off, and ordered his, crew to drop huge nets over the vessel’s sides a« a. barirer against the hoarding party. A fire-hose was reeled out, and the ship generally placed in a state of defence. Tumbled Into Sea As Hie police officers grasped for a hold t<> pull themselves up on deck, streams of water struck them and tumbled them hack into the sea, from which they were rescued’, half-drown-ed, by their comrades. Other officers engaged in fisticuffs with the sailors. This morning Cornero decided to give in, and ordered his lawyer to negotiate a surrender. As the ship’s customers reached shore in boatloads, 40 policemen -hustled them off to the police-station." where their names were taken. They were then released. The scandal of California’s illegal gambling ships has reached such a pitch that Congress is now debating a bill to prohibit the transportation and operation of such craft, as well as the tlie transportation by water taxis of customer fnhn the shore.