Mexborough and Swinton Times July 6, 1907
Pay His Debts
What the Policeman Saw.
A Substantial Penalty.
Conisborough has contributed three more cases under the street betting act, Superintendent Hicks introducing a charge of street betting brought against George Tinker, a Conisborough bookmaker, referred to the continued prevalence of street betting in Conisborough, and asked the magistrates, in the event of the case being made out to impose a maximum penalty of £10.
Sgt Horton said that last Wednesday he, with PC Brierley, had been in plainclothes near Elm Green, Conisborough, at 12:20 PM, when they saw defendant at the top of Wellgate near the Fox Inn, and the officers watched him for five minutes from a shed. During that time three men came up to him, and placed slips into his hand. The man kept the slips and at the same time through from his pocket what appear to be a coin. At last a woman came along, and to her the defendant gave the slips, after which he went away in the direction of his home in Wellgate.
Then the constables got on bicycles and approached defendant from Church Street, reaching him at 12.40. There were 20 men standing round him, and three of them held in their hands copies of the “sporting pink.”
The Sergeant stated that he searched the defendant, and found a half sheet of note paper containing 37 entries of money which had been or was to be paid out. He also had £3 in silver, but the sergeant did not take this, taken possession of the paper. He told the man he would be reported for a loitering for the purpose of betting. Defendant replied. “Well I expected this, but I haven’t taken any yet.” In the evening at 7 o’clock evening defendant in Station Road, Conisborough, a and was stopped by him with the “How long are you going to keep that paper?” “for Why?” Asked the sergeant. “Well, those chaps won’t pay now, you know. I like to be straight, and I want to straighten off.”
Mr Baddiley, in cross examination, pointed out to the sergeant that no race had taken place that day at that time, and the business must have had relation to races of the previous day.
PC Brierley corroborated the statement of the sergeant
Mr Baddiley said the case was quite different from other street betting cases. He was going to show that no had taken place, so far as the man was concerned that day. The statement made to the police by the defendant was very important. The man did not deny that he wanted to pay certain man. Like an honourable man he was going to pay them, which he was justified in doing, and which he ought to do. Not a single betting transaction had taken place that day, a because the man had information of the police trap, and for that reason had done no betting.
Defendant calibrated this statement.
The superintending: You say you had some information about this taking place? – Yes – when?
The same morning at 9 o’clock. – Will you be surprised to hear that the whole in was not planned until half an hour before; that it never entered the sergeant’s mind still then?
It doesn’t matter. I got to know from somebody else.
Asked if he had any betting slips on him at the time defendant said with respect to the sergeant “He was that sharp, why didn’t he get the slips?” He denied, however, having had any slips in his possession. He denied that a woman came up to him at all; in fact, he had not seen a woman that. There were only six men with him when the constables came to him; they were all talking about sport – the Conisborough sports. –
Francis William Reys and Jesse Saxon, to members of the crowd, gave evidence in support of the defendants.
The bench imposed a penalty of 5 pounds and costs.
Walter Anderson was summoned on a similar charge.
PC Brearley stated that he was on duty in the highway at Conisborough. At 11:50 a.m. on Wednesday, 26 June, he watched defendant for five minutes. He was with six other men round him. He saw one of these give defendant a silver coin, which he put in his pocket.
At 12:55 a.m. the constable was on duty in the same place, with PC Horton, when they again saw the defendant received another coin. They went up to him and searched him, and found in his possession copies of the “Sporting Pink”, a book which contained 214 bets on horses, nine of which were running that day, and about 30/– in silver. They took possession of the book and papers, left the money, and told him he would be reported.
He replied, “all right, I expected it,”
Defendant was fined 5 pounds and costs.
Thomas Stokes, bookmaker, and professional boxer, of Conisborough, was also summoned for street betting.
PC Jenkinson stated that he was on duty at Eckington Street, New Conisborough, on the 26th, when he saw defendant standing at the corner of Doncaster Road and William Street.
He watched him until 12.35 Noone, during which time 30 men and 13 youths handed him some money. When the defendant saw the constables he ran away. The officers called on him to stop, but he refused.
In the attempt to get away he dropped a sporting paper.
Defendant was mulcted in £5 and costs.