"TWO UP" RAID.

Taihape Daily Times, Volume XI, Issue 3317, 22 October 1919, Page 6

"TWO UP" RAID.

» ; FIELD DAY AT COURT. ‘ ‘_ VARIOUS "FINES "INFL'ItC'I‘ED. _ ‘FPOLICE CGMPLIMENTED ON. T CAPTURE. . ‘ There was a -record attendance at the Magistrate ’s Court, Wanganui, on Monday morning, When; there came a sequel of ‘the ‘recent Sunday ‘raid {lon the ,“two up” school -at Castlecliif-—the yroseeution of a large numlfer of players who attended it. The changes were heard before Mr .'Wyvel‘n Wilson, S.M., and the prosecutiofi “was conducted by DetectiveSergeant Hollis. . "_'. J The defendants who appearedwerez ID. Igo, J. fPhillips, A. Lee, M. Dakin, C. Tracy, J. E. Shore, M. Clark, C. J. Menzies, IL. R-ountree, J. Ever, J. E. Bekker, J. Cleary, and A. Howden. These all answered their names and pleaded guilty. " Thefollowing did. not appear: B. Kartin, T. Wilson, P. Fitzgerald, ‘T. W. Shetrwdod, R. Hayfiow, E. Thompson, R, lviaddoek, J. Sharpe, J. ‘Tairona, (for whom Mr Slipper appeared‘ and lodged a plea of guilty), A. Shelton,-D. ‘Granthani, W. Weller, J. Pawlson, H_Holdor, Robinson, L. P«alln'er, A. Vernon, S. Smith, R. Signal, R. lHowden, A. Ba;te‘s, A’. Mta-ddoclo, Tn‘ wmso'n; J. ZBrookes, J. Johnson, S; Holman, W. Anderson,’ E. Howell. . SUNDAY ASSEMBLIES.

De.tec.tivc-;Ser_geant Hlollis said theprosé'cutions were laid under a section I of the Gaming Act. The “two up” schoblphlad been in progress for some. timetpast at London Park, at Castle? clif'f.7"Play\us1rally took place on Sundays; whenibetwecn 40 and 50 men assembled. Bad language was used,i and '-‘it was possible that ‘it could be hear-d_’ by people passing the vicinity. Complaint was made toxthe police, and to headquarters in \Vellington. Observa- , tions were made. ‘‘'The. ’‘school’’ was held in 5, hollow, and clay was brought there for th.e ring. The police couldl __not get near the school owing to scouts . being '_on the hill tops around‘ =to‘'.give { the alarm. if necessary, so the school could‘ not berushel. On September 28th Constables Faruworth and IVIcMuI- : len were secreted in a dug-out, which iwxas made 35 feet from the centre of I jrthe ring. In the garnbling community 1. “two up” ‘was regarded as a fair game, ‘ provided a “double l;e‘a'der” was not ‘ used. ' . A PERNICIOUS HABIT. l His‘ 'Worship remarked th-at‘. it "had 1 {the pernicious effect of giving a false idea of money, because if a -man could‘ make £lO on the toss, -of a coin he vwould not work, and it Would hprompt him eo remain idle and gamble on Sun- ‘ days. A ‘ Proceeding, Detective Hollis said the game was played on the day between the races. On thefirst ‘Sunday’ two ‘ constables were placed in the dug‘;ui:~., but the players, got 13 scare. A scout came down, and they scattered to an- } other ‘place. On the’ Sunday tlle raid 1 was carried out ~10 men Iturnedup, the }‘ first arriving at 1.45. VThe scouts were i put out, and play started. The‘ raid I was carried out at 3.30. The players scattered and ran into the arms" of others of the police’; and some kept on running when it was not necessary.‘ His Worship: ~SolT‘e""’of them have not appeared to—d'ay. Perhaps they are still running. (Laughteix) ‘ . Detective Hollis: Some are .afr'aid of ' losing theirbillets. His \VCl'Ship:,ThCy are not losing a day’s pay like these men who did come along. N - In conclusion, Detective Hollis said the players admitted they were fairly and squarely caught,'and that the‘ police were justified in what they did. COLLECTION TAKEN‘/U‘P_. M Constable O. Farnworth siaid he saw l Women and children in the vicinity of where the gamcims played, A c()llec_ i ifion ‘Was taken up for the scouts. He l identified at number of the players. i Constable Mc‘Cullan said the biggest; bet was ‘about £l. Money was thrown in‘ the ring for the scouts, and Co]lecf.. t ed by the ring”-k’ee'per. The mm used some frightful language._ A Detective Hollis said the I'ing-pkeepenl-5 were Beklger and Sherwood, In a pm. vidpg case before -the ‘Court the existence of the School had been commented upon. One of the‘ players. Robert Hod’: den, had been fined before for “two up” at Auckland. The players did not have much to say when invited to speak. I p" One man _sa=id he just arrived when the game 'finislled.‘and another denied that he used .any"had language. ’ ' 011 behalf of another player, a taxi 9 driver, it was urged that he drove some ‘ P 901310 '6O Castlccliff, and while waiting there wentito have a look at the school. . A ‘.'CLE»VEI_%i CAPTIIIRE. {His ’Woi-ship said the police were to be congratula~ted -on a clcVer':md com. gprplete capture. It‘ was n'l\Vay.< difflcult peptic detect. " ‘two up” pla'_vcl's. He knew ‘lj7“7t‘l%3qt from experience on the coal fields; liflyas the players had their.scou.*; out. and W’ ‘W3sl.difTicult toget _’r‘nerc. Tlleppolicc .c‘]i.B+*i_?rj“(l“:¥}'('iC-E. The yln:lxi:nuln penalty

wzis £SO or 13.-_ee months’ inlpri:olllncllt.

It~.w:ls a, fairly heavy penalty, but it was not at ease for the maximuxfx penalty. It might. be thought hlarxnlcss to" toss a coin for"nloney, and someof them mightthiuk if theypcould bet on the “tote” they should not be stopped from having a game of “two up.” The law was opposed to gambling, except ‘on the tottalisator, which was run in connection with race meetings, and provided for a limitéa amount of gambling. It was a far finer sport than wzatching the spin of 2. coin. That had no sport about it, and prompted the spirit of gambling. It had a pemhaious influence, because, if a man could make money by the spin of .a. coin he would not feel disposea to Work. After the war it was essential men should work and assist production, otherwise they would become parasites. "

His‘Wohship then proceeded to locate the fines. ‘Tie said the ringkeepers Bekker -and Sherwood) were on a- different footing. They were most interested in the. “school” and encouraged the younger men to waste their Sundays and -their money. Each would be fined £lO. Bates—-one of the seouts—was fined £4, Detective Hollis sta.tin;; that the’ scout pased up an'd down like a. constable on his beat.

, Howden, who had been previously proceeded against for “two up” was fined £5. '* .‘ Those who were «at the “school” on the two Sundays under observation, were each fined £3. The rest were fined £2, and in the case of those who did not appear £2 10/_. His WO-I'ship remaz-lii‘ ing that they ‘had not lost a day’s psi. The charge ‘against W. Waite" was adjourned for two Weeks.—VVanguanui ‘Chronicle.