Walter Ruskin was summoned January 1909 for allowing a game of chance on the premises, held 24th December 1908.
Police Constable Bartram had witnessed the game at 9:30pm and said that he advised the accused that he had no right to hold a game of chance. He claimed that he had been offered a brace of rabbits to take no notice of it.
Sidney Bunting of Grimston had been at the house at 7pm and had seen several people `spinning' for prizes on a table in the back room. He had won some sausages, a man named Hutson won a chicken, Arthur Twite got some ale. John Planks won the beef. Everyone paid 6d to enter the competition and 2d to enter a raffle. A man named William Rudd had provided rabbits as prizes. The ale was `four-half'. Thomas Sandle, a fish hawker, had a `spin' and won four rabbits, he had also paid 2d to take part in a raffle for the rabbits. Mr Sandle confirmed that he had been in several raffles before, and had won a prize of ale at another house.
Mr Ruskin had admitted the offence but was unaware that `spinning' was not allowed.
Acting for the defendant, Mr Wilkin said that during the past fortnight it had been admitted at the Divisional Court that Whist Drives might be tolerated.........that was unquestionable law today and therefore, if they were so in the dark as not to know what was gaming and what was not .... he thought Mr Wilkin should be let off.
Mr Wilkin had been `spinning' every Christmas since he had been in the house. He had been warned previously about `drawing' but not `spinning'.
The Magistrates took the view that `spinning' was the same as `drawing' and imposed a fine of £2 16s 6d, including costs, with the warning that if the offence was repeated, the fine would be £10.