Church Clock Made Slow For S.P. Bets

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 935, 31 March 1930, Page 14

Church Clock Made Slow For S.P. Bets

TRAPPING THE LAYERS BACKERS’ SHREWD TACTICS Simple faith in a church clock has cost a Sydney suburban storekeeper so much money that he has had to sell his business and get out of the suburb. Unfortunately for him he has no redress, for, besides his legitimate trading he had an extensive S.P. business, and consequently must grin and bear his losses, which have amounted to hundreds of pounds in a few months. The clock, cause of all his trouble, has had a reputation for years for being correct to the minute, and, acting on this reputation, two men hit upon a scheme to make them rich. On each race day one of the men visited the clock’s t caretaker, and engaged him in earnest conversation. The other, dodging up the tower staircase, stopped the clock for a few minutes while the other man, finishing his conversation, walked across to a house nearby, where he awaited a phone message giving the result of a certain race. He then immediately rang the storekeeper. and asked if there was time t«> take a bet on the race. Clock Misled Him The storekeeper, with a glance at the clock, which lie could see from

his phono, noted Hint it registered a few minutes before the race was timed to start, and accepted the bet. Then the man in the tower gradually restored the clock to its correct time, and, seizing, his opportunity, escaped from the building, unseen the caretaker. The men were shrewd enough to know that an unbroken series of wins would arouse suspicion, and often made big bets which they knew would be lost. However, they are on the right side of the ledger, and the storekeeper, who since his .failure lias been informed of the trick, can do nothing but gnash his teeth in impotent rage. Polieo also find they can take no action. FEUDING CLUB NOMINATIONS DUE TONIGHT The PeUding Jockey Club’s jubilee Paster meeting will claim attention from owners and trainers today, Monday, for nominations for all events close at 8.30 p.m. The programme is an attractive one and there are two gold cups provided as trophies, one for the Manchester ; Handicap on the first day and the other j for the Oroua Hack Cup on Easter Monday. There should be good entries. WAIKATO MEETING Press Association WELLINGTON, Saturday. The following corrections have to be made in the list of weights telegraphed for the Waikato Racing Club’s autumn meeting: Juvenile Handicap.—lmamint, 5.4; Our Comet, 7.6. Beerescourt Hack Handicap.—Tenakoe, 8.9. . Accepances for all events on the first day of the Waikato R.C. meeting close at 5 p.m. on Fridhy next.