Mexborough and Swinton Times, May 27th, 1932
Betting Houses
Mexboro’, Denaby And Thurscoe Cases
Heavy Fines
A number of bookmakers from the Mexboro, district were fined at Doncaster West Riding Police Court on Tuesday for keeping betting houses.
Edward Allen, bookmaker, Mexboro’, for using premises in Dolcliffe Road for the purpose of ready money betting was fined £20. Mr. L. H. Brittain, who defended, pleaded for leniency and said that Allen had borrowed £20 to start a book at the beginning of the season and had had a bad time. All his capital was on the premises when they were raided. All the bookmakers, as was well known, had sustained heavy losses in the first few weeks of the flat racing season
For assisting Allen, Arnold Thompson was fined £5, and a similar penalty was imposed on Joseph Thompson for permitting the premises to be used.
For a similar offence in Kingsway, Thurnscoe, John Williams, bookmaker, was fined £20 and for assisting, Mary Elizabeth Grayson, his daughter, had to pay £2.
During the hearing of the case the female defendant fainted and had to be assisted out of court, but returned later.
For the defence, Mr. C. E. Marshall said Williams had carried on a betting business chiefly on credit lines in Mexboro’ for 25 years and had never been in trouble before.
For using a house in Annerly Street, Denaby for ready money betting, Florence Whitehead was fined £5. Her husband, George Whitehead, Senr., had to pay £2 for assisting, while for allowing the house to be used for betting their son George was fined £1.
Whitehead Senr. said they were acting as agents for a bookmaker, who, he hoped, would pay the fines.
For using a house in Hirstgate, Mexboro’, Harry Clancy was fined £10. For allowing the house to be used George A. Hawcroft was fined £5.
A number of people who were summoned for frequenting the premises were bound over and ordered to pay the costs. A young girl who was caught in a raid by the police said it was the first time she had ever taken a bet to the premises.
James Fox, unemployed miner, Thurnscoe, was fined £15 for street betting at Thurnscoe on May 20th. He pleaded guilty and it was stated that he was fined £10 last June for a similar offence.