BRIBES FOR DETECTIVES

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 906, 25 February 1930, Page 7

BRIBES FOR DETECTIVES

ItfOKMAKER CONVICTED demanded for sentence from Our Oxen Correspondent. HAMILTON, Monday. After a retirement of about two and tialf hours the jury returned a verdict of guilty in the bribery charges against Harry Abraham Samuels, the Hamilton bookmaker, in the Supreme Court this afternoon. Samuels was charged with bribing TOstactive-Sergeant Thompson and Detective Alfred John White at Hamilton. ' December 21. by giving each a £lO note and a case of pipes. Mr. H. T. Gillie* prosecuted and prisoner ■syp.s r€D re*ented by Mr. Singer. Mr. Gillies, in setting out the facts, «ied the jury to separate the case in their minds from the crime of bookntailcing. He referred to the fact that any in December the officers made a senes of raids on the premises of bookmakers in Hamilton. Samuels premises were not included in the num-

ber 0n December 21. Detectives Thompson and White each received, through the post, a packet containing a £lO note and a case of pipes. These were accompanied by a card containing a picture of a racehorse and signed -Harrv Samuels.” On the following afternoon the two detectives interviewed Samuels at his private office. Samuels admitted having sent the money and pipes and a l«o offered them liquor, which they • efused. Subsequently the detectives 'aided Samuels’s premises under a search warrant when a large quantity of betting material was found together with several similar cards to dies recovered in parcels by the two detec- ' Mi. Gillies told the jury they had to be satisfied the money and pipes nere sent by Samuels to the two o/P.C'irs with intent to deflect the administration of justice. There could be little doubt the presents were sent as a~murk of gratitude for being omitted from the December raid and as an inducement to them to overlook bookmaking in future activities. The two detectives concerned gave evidence on the lines of Mr. Gillies’s address. Mr. Singer did not call evidence, but ' addressed the jury. ACCUSED’S CHARACTER After the jury had announced the verdict Mr. R. Singer, for prisoner, pointed out that Samuels possessed an unblemished character, a fact which police officers concerned would bear out. Mr. H. T. Gillies, Crown solicitor, interposed that in 1923 prisoner was convicted and fined heavily for an offence in which electric current was obtained without payment. Action was taken under a by-law. m •Outside that he has carried on a reputable business and had the reputation of being exceedingly competent,” added Mr. Singer. It was true that he had carried on the business of a bookmaker. He had been convicted in 1908 for bookmaking, and was fined £BOO on December 31 last year for keeping a common gaming house. Though in this case an offence had been committed, it was not a crime in the natural sense of the word. Though he had not been included among those bookmakers who were convicted on December 18 last year he undoubtedly was foolish enough to forward the articles produced to the two police officers. A mitigating circumstance was that Samuels did not endeavour secretly to corrupt the police officers. lie had sent the articles through the post with a card bearing Mis own name. It was only his youth and foolishness of mind, counsel believed, which induced him to do such a thing. If he had used any judgment he must have realised that the officers concerned were the last two men in the force who could bq approached in the way they were. His client was an honest man so far as the illegal business he was carrying on was concerned. It was almost inconceivable that a young man was foolish enough to allow himself to be responsible for such idiotic conduct. It was not possible that his object could ever be attained. Mr. Gillies said while he agreed with much that counsel had said, and that <mly an absolute fool would attempt to bribe the police in the way Samuels bad done, the matter should be regarded in another light. Corruption "*as comparatively unknown in New Zealand, but if a light sentence were passed the public might regard the offence lightly Prisoner was remanded for sentence until Thursday.