RAID ON GAMING HOUSE.

Taihape Daily Times, 12 August 1919, Page 7

RAID ON GAMING HOUSE.

A EBUSY ‘TELEPHONE, ANSWERED BY DETECTIVE. DUNEDIN, Aug. 7. How Detective Kemp kept to the ’phone at the house of William Pollock, bookmaker, and got incriminating evidence, was told in the Police Court t°'d33'- The witness stated: “On July 12 I «obtained 9. Search warrant under the Gaming Act, to Search No. 17, Carr Street. I was assisted by Detective Hall_ We reached thereiabout 1 p.m., and found Hopcroft iii occupation of the house, Pollock and his wife being in Wellington. When we went into the hall there was «a telephone, and along Side this ‘:1. small table, and on the table were a number of sheets of paper relating to betting, an open watch, a race card of the last dayof the Wellington meeting, with times of the races on it. While I was there the telephone rang several times. I answered it, and the first enquiry I had was ‘two on Pretty Bobby.’ Thovnext. enquired for a double 100 to 21: Rewj Poto and Gold Kip. The next £5? £2 on Ben Rove; next. a double from Port Chalmers, 50 to 1. The next enquiry was for Paraoa and Alteration, 50 to 1, and on top of this came enquiry for a double, Calma and Gold Kip, and two more on Cynic, and two other doubles. Between 1 p.m., when I took the ’phone, and 1.30 p.m., all these bets were enquired for, which Will give the Court some idea of the volume of the business. On the sheet of paper there were for the three days’ meeting, 19 entries of tote betting first day, 20 for the second, and for the third day, exclusive of the bets; offered me, there were two. The en? tries of betting for the three days recorded amounts varying from 10/ to £5. Also there was on the table a list of 31 assumed names VVC went to Hopcraft’s room and took possession of several books relating to straight betting and double betting, showing a greatvolume of business. Hopcraft is an accountant by profession, but has chosen to give up his legitimate profession for an illegitimate calling He has not been long in business. He entered into partnership with Pollock some weeks ago, and on the 3rd of July they jointly banked £SOO in the Bank of Australasia. Pollock sent twelve wires from \Vellington to Hopcraft under the name of “Williams to Williams” advising him of the state of the bets’ he had made in Wellington, so that Hopcraft. should not overlay them. Hoperaft, sent five wires to Pollock. A-ll ‘wires, bac.l{\\'al‘ds and forwards were signed, “Willianis.” ‘

“On the 14th July‘ (two days after the raid) Hopcraff (‘>"‘~*":l “double” charts, and on the 181*}: July 400 were ordcrccl, and 250 czl:'(ls_ ‘business as usual,’ and 2550 showing the post -ofiico box used. Pollock has several agents in the couutry_, 14. in all. He has over 400 flregular custonmrsr ’rlll'ougllout the cor.m“l'y. Fo‘: the tlnce days of the VVcllillgton meeting he was sfruck ‘rlu-cc times‘ (taking out £285), and yet he 'SllO“;(‘(l :1 profit of £2.30. H 0 is one of the Iczuling bookmakers of New Zealand, and (loos an onorxnous amount of business.” Pollock was fined £IOO for occupying

premises, and keeping them as a. common ‘.gam;i.ng ‘house’. Hopcmaft 'wa‘s fined £SO for a similar offence.