A "TWO-UP" SCHOOL.

Otago Witness, Issue 2894, 1 September 1909, Page 33

A "TWO- UP" SCHOOL.

THREE MEN CONVICTED ' >; WELLINGTON! August' 30. . Eight young men wre^- ehaißed in tL'* Magistrate's Court', -before' Mr W. G- - Riddell, S.M., this afternoon, with having played a game of chance in tire form of *' xwb-up " in the- vicinity of the Thorndon Railway Station, on the 19th; insf'. t The'ifaineß of^the accused wette ; as follow; George Longhearst, James Martin, Davi<J M'Coombe, Harry Needham, Edgar Shaw; , William Henry Shepherd, Joseph Spence,_ j and John ;He»ry "Murray. ,* AH pleaded} : " Nob , guilty." ■ * Sub-inspecta? Norwood' ; tne v -aecusea, with the exception of. Murray, who was represented b>~.iV£r FiSzgibfcbn.;.; The -first-named- were .dealt-jwith first.- In' evidence it was\st&|ed 'by Constables M'Annerin'- and" TBojnpsotf •jn'^ac- 1 cordance. with instructions, they 'proceeded' - to the Thorndon "Railway Station, where through the 'refreshment' room window they*X)bs6r.v.-ed~ui- broad daylight' a- 'number' of men' clustered in a circle, within a,couple of yards of them tossing coins into • the •"'air. jrhe,' accused, according to the. { policemen, were mostly cabmen or express- - menj awaiting the arrival of the Auckland • express. An alleged "kip" employed for-* toss'ifig the! money- was produced. Sir Herdman denied that a game of chance -- had been played. He urged "that- the - piece of stick produced, and stated to fee i the *J kip," was off a mail-bag. Counsel .' admitted that the stick was used by one -. 01 the accused as ah instrument for toss- - ing, but only in idle and harmless play, i He was tvying* to see how many heads of pennies he could turn face upward. It v was stated by the accused that it was a custom of expressmen to toss for positions on the stand when waiting for a train t«> arrive. After further inquiry, Lbrigh'earst. Shepherd, and Martin were convicted,, and fined £3 each, with cqsts (7s), in default seven days' imprisonment. The charges against the others, with the exception of Murray, were dismissed. In Murray's case the information was withdrawn. In a- paragraph on another page referring ■ to Mr,G. M. Thomson's lecture cm the work at the'Portobello" Fish Hatchery it U stated; that it was estimator* the yield of eggs from 17 femak lobsters in the hatchery would be* five hundred millions. This should tx» 500,000. - Mr Thomson, did- net intend to. convey the idea that lobsters would destroy the common crayfish, but tha> they woutefc displace them in the market.