South Yorkshire Times – Saturday 24 October 1942
Police Visit Club
Great Houghton Summonses
A total of thirty-four summonses were listed at Barnsley West Riding Court on Wednesday, when cases were heard in respect of alleged irregularities at Great Houghton Sports Club.
An application to have the Club struck off the register was granted, but it was intimated by Mr. L. H. Brittain, of Rotherham, who defended, that there would be an appeal.
There were fourteen summonses against John Gregory, club steward, Great Houghton, alleging that he sold to non-members, and four under a similar count against David Gregory, miner, Great Houghton. Four defendants. Arnold W. Atkinson, Leslie Dove, George Noble, miners. Thurnscoe, and Lawrence Taylor, miner, Little Houghton, were summoned for aiding and abetting, and the following memberg of the committee were summoned for allowing premises to be used for purposes connected with a lottery: Walter Birch (president), Thomas Oldfield, William Haddock, Thomas Immison, Charles Froggart, George Clubley, Frank Crossfield, Harry Weston, Arthur White, miners, Great Houghton, George Crawford, miner, Billingley, Frank Thompson, roadman, Little Houghton, and Thomas Purnell, cobbler, Great Houghton.
The application to have the club struck off was made against William H. Hall, Great Houghton.
Mr. R. C. Linnet’, of the County Solicitor’s Department, said the lottery would have been legal had it been confined to members, but it was not. The prosecution asked that the club be struck off on the ground that it was not conducted in good faith. There were frequent instances of drunkenness on the premises, and it was alleged that persons were habitually admitted to the club in order that they could purchase intoxicating liquor.
Two plain clothes policemen on August 15th and 16th, and successive weekends, entered the club without any difficulty and were able to purchase liquor with equal ease. Inspector Hooton said that when the premises were raided there were present members. 19 members wives, 11 visitors who had been properly signed, and 11 who had not been signed at all. The general atmosphere was very rowdy.
Mr. Brittain said there was no doubt that certain offences had been committed, but the lottery was run for a charitable purpose and would have been legal if confined to members. Every serving member had received considerable sums from the Comforts Fund, and whenever they came on leave they were provided with two pints of beer from the same fund. In addition £38 had been raised for the St. John Ambulance Association, £5 for the Aid to Russia Fund, and several grants to the sports section of the British Legion, Red Cross Society, and other charitable objects.
He asked the Bench to refuse the application to have the club struck off. The Chairman (Mr. G. H. Norton) said the Bench considered the premises unsuitable for the purpose for which they were used, and the club would be struck off.
John Gregory was to be fined £5 and David Gregory 40s. The four men charged with aiding and abetting would be fined 20s. each, and the reminder 10s. each, with costs In each case.
Mr. Brittain said there would be an appeal, and the Bench fixed the deposit for the appeal at £25, proper notice to be given within fourteen days.