GAMING HOUSE CHARGE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 14 June 1938, Page 2

GAMING HOUSE CHARGE

BOOKMAKER FINED £lOO. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) WANGANUI, June 13. A Wanganui tobacconist, Thomas Clarke, Guyton Street, was fined £lOO and costs by Mr J. H. Salmon, S.M., in the Magistrates’ Court, Wanganui, today, when he appeared on a charge of having kept premises as a common gaming house. Detective-Sergeant J. K. Robertson described the raid, which had been carried out by himself, Detectives N. W. Bayliss, and James Murray, and Constables R. Edwards, G. Howes, and S. Cave, on Saturday night. They found a betting book, with entries, the highest bet taken being £5. The entries had been made for three race meetings that day, and the bets taken aggregated £52. Detective Robertson said Clarke haS been before the court at Feilding ip 1936, where he was charged with being an agent. The fine in that case had been £lOO.

Mr H. Keesing, who appeared for Clarke, said he had been an agent at Feilding, but had come to Wanganui six months ago and was now taking bets on his own account. He was only carrying on in a small way, and did not employ anyone. “Defendant appears to have been fined the maximum amount at Feilding. I cannot understand why he was fined such a large amount. The offence must have been, fairly serious,” said Mr Salmon. “Had the present charge stood alone I would have imposed a moderate fine, but I cannot impose less than 'the previous fine.” Clarke was allowed time in which to pay..