Mad Gambling.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 780, 24 March 1905, Page 4

Mad Gambling.

KUMAN MINISTER AND OFFIL'KKS PLAY ALL NIGHT.

A c.isj has just been tried at OldUiiurjr uli ell is in niaay aspecls <-M:.aii-unul. Har sjchwetzinert, edir oi ilit U'denburg Kesidenobote, ias, Hiy.s a llcrlin despatch to the c li«;ii sent to gaol for -ivclvu months for writing articles cutting Herr Huhstart, Minister o& ( usUcu, Educaiiou, and BeHgion in he Grand Duchy, of perjury. Some aonths ago the Kesidenztotc pub,h d a series of articles, in which he Minister was accused oi high ■:ay at gau-.es oi chance, and vari.us other revelations were made req acting on this gentleman. Heir 'tuhstart brought an action against •Schweunert, and as a witness in the rial swore point blank that since he became Minister he had never playd. games of chance. The result oi the trial was that Schwetznert was sentenced to six months, imprisonnunt. Before he was called on to • mdergo the term in gaol the editor .vrote the articles which were the iibject of the second trial, which nas just concluded. In these articUs ichweUnirt said that Ruhstart had worn an untruth, knowing it to he. ntrue. The trial revealed the existence of an extraordinary state of Hairs in the little capital. The Alint.T, Herr Ruhstart, when examined is a witness, adhered to his statencnt that in the restaurant where . c~and his friends played he had inulgcJ in no games 1 of chance since Iris cluvation to his present post. He sometimes played, poker among other, games, that was all. Asked if sioker was not a game of chance, he •aid it was not, and that Court of Justice had left :t an open question. ;V waiter named Latui nus deposed to ;hc heavy play which went am with Huhstart as one of the players, fie ■iAid that the .Minister was the madJest gambler among the company. The gentleman often borrowed monev from witness and from t.hi> lfltfld-

I lord. Once, when the landlord defined to advance auy more money,. Ruhstart took the key of the safe out of the landlord's pocket and went with him to get the money. Another witness swore that as a rule the company only left off pluyaig at da;.light. The ollkets who were engaged in play went straight froui tlie tables to their duties in I barracks. A" waiter named Meyer j swore that he also lent Alie pin;.ei-.s . money. When he happened to come I near the tables they used to throw 1 the thalers and live mark pilots ai ! t ids leail. lie made it his business, j ie said, to come as often as possible* ! in tlio vicinity of the players, as it I vas an easy method of obtaining I onsidcraMe sums of money. The I .•layers weie also in the habit of •rushing silver money off the tables ■ md leaving it for the waiters to ,'iek up. When tWe maids came in the morning to tidy the room the .•layers were still at work. He overheard a young lieutenant say to his .'riend. to whom Ik- had lost It.oOfl narks, and who insisted on being ijaid next day : '• If that is your last word you will lind me to-mor-row in the ri\er." As a matter of met, the officer's body was shortly furvurds taken from the HiverHunte. JUner swore positively that he saw Huhstart play games of chance after he had become .Minister. He was Tonf routed by Huhstart and three oth-r witnesses, who swore to the contrary, but even when warned by the Judges regarding the grnvitv of his stateirent and its possible consequences, Meyer adhered t« bis evidence. The president thereupon ordered his immediate arrest. I n the course of his evidence Mover staled that three of the Judges' „n Hie tench. ar.d the Crown Prosecutor lumseli. were often seen by him gambling. These dignitaries thereupon volunteered as witnesses, and admitted that they had played, b,ut said ■t happened before they exercise! their present office. This apparent persoual interest of the Court in the question at issue gave occasion to the defending counsel to move for a change of venue, but the Court r<lused to consider the objection as valid. Arguments on this point led to stormy scenes in court, and defending counsel considered themselves so ill-used by the president that thev threw up their briefs. It muv be added says the Telegraph,, that the editor Heir Schwotzncrt, alleges that he is very badly treated in prison. He was compelled to work' at straw-plaiting for eleven hour* dailv Jhe trial, with all its accessories has cast a terribly lurid light on. the adtninsilration of justice in Oldenburg, and on what is g-oing 0 n liehind the scenes.