#crap game

Sailors shooting craps, 1930s.

"TWO ARE FOUND GUILTY ON ASSAULT AND ROBBERY CHARGES," Windsor Star. September 28, 1943. Page 3. ---- Pair to Be Sentenced Tomorrow ---- Allan Benoit, Geo. Baby Convicted of Beating M. Pryor During Dice Game ---- Found guilty of the assault and robbery of Marcel Pryor, of 177 Elm avenue, during a crap game in the washroom of a downtown hotel, Allan Benoit and George Baby, both of Victoria avenue, will appear before Magistrate D. M. Brodie in city police court Wednesday morning for sentence.

Hearing in the case was started Monday morning and afternoon, when the Crown witnesses were heard, and completed this morning when Benoit, Baby and other defence witnesses took the stand.

MONEY TAKEN The two men were convicted of beating up and robbing Pryor during a hotel washroom crap game the evening of Priday, September 10, when Pryor had $150 taken from his hip pocket.

After hearing lengthy evidence and arguments by the two defence counsels, Gerald McHugh, K.C., for Benoit, and George A. Yates for Baby. Magistrate Brodie stated that the case involved many strange features but that there was no doubt in his mind that the money was forcefully taken from Pryor and that Baby and Benoit were the participants.

SENTENCE TOMORROW "I am finding both men guilty of the charge," his worship concluded, "and I am reserving the manner of sentence until Wednesday morning."

Only defence witnesses were heard this morning. Acting Crown Attorney L. R. McTavish resting the Crown's case at the adjournment of hearing Monday afternoon,

Much of the defence for Benoth brought out by Mr. McHugh centred around a torn dollar bill which was found in Benott's possession and which Pryor claimed belonged to him prior to the assault and robbery.

WIFE IS CALLED Mrs. Mary Benoit, the defendant's wife, was called to the witness box by Mr. McHugh and presented a torn fragment of a dollar bill. Mrs. Benoit claimed that the portion was in her purse, and that it belonged to a dollar bill taken by her husband when he took out a $20 bill on the morning of September 10. The torn bill and fragment were compared and fitted perfectly .

"That shows conclusively that the origin of the dollar bill was with Benoit," Mr. McHugh argued in his defence address. "I say that Pryor lied in claiming that dollar bill to be his. He also lied about the amount of beer he drank that day. I do not know his motive in this case. I also felt that during the trial yesterday, Your Worship, that you felt this man was evasive. I claim that no jury in the world would convict Benoit on this uncorroborative evidence."

HAD BEEN DRINKING Both Benoit and Baby admitted that they had been drinking most of the morning and afternoon prior to the alleged assault and robbery. Their evidence conflicted sharply with that of Pryor when both testified that Pryor was in the washroom playing craps when they entered. On Monday, Pryor swore that he entered the washroom and found Benoit and Baby engaged in a game, which they invited him to join.

In the defence of Baby, Mr. Yates claimed that the Crown should prove the charges to the hilt.

"To convict these men, Your Worship should believe all the evidence of Pryor. But," Mr. Yates pointed out, "his evidence in the box was such that he should not be believed. He was definitely impeached in the box on two occasions, so the court must come to the conclusion that Pryor was lying and evasive as he wasn't clear as to just what did happen that day. I submit that the Crown hasn't given enough evidence for a conviction."

MAKES REPLY Mr. McTavish in reply claimed that is Pryor's evidence was accurate and without doubt. "Pryor claimed that approximately $160 was taken from him." Mr. McTavish stated. "And when Benoit and Baby were picked up and searched, the money in their pockets, plus the $80 left by Baby for safe-keeping with a cigar store clerk, added up to $160."

"In regards to the two defendants stating that Pryor threw his money down on the washroom floor and ran about," His Worship commented. "I cannot believe that he would be that me foolish as to throw down his money and leave it for these men to pick it up in the manner they said they did.

"When Baby found that he had $80 ad more than he should have after the dice game was broken up, his proper procedure was to hand it over to the hotel management." Magistrate Brodie or pointed out, "or if he didn't trust the hotel people he should have turned it over to the police and that would have cleared him of this charge."

I picked the hidden blade