MISSING MOTOR BIKE.

Auckland Star, Volume XLIX, Issue 228, 24 September 1918, Page 2

MISSING MOTOR BIKE.

ALLEGED RATLWAY FRAUD. CHAJIGE AGAINST A CONTRACTOJi. A middle-aged road contractor named Ernest McKenzie was charged at the Police Court to-day that he attempted to obtain £70 from the New Zealand Railway Department by false pretences. In outlining the case Senior Sergeant •MeNamara stated that about March 8 j accused checked a motor-cyle from Kae-1 tihi to Auckland as excess luggage. He arrived at Auckland on March 9, and tie j motor-cycle arrived next day. The | machine was taken from the train and I put in the luggage room, and the same day was taken out by some unauthorised person. Accused, through a solicitor at Kaetihi, made a claim on the Railway Department for £70 for the lose of the tmachine. The matter was reported to the police, and on investigation by Plain CJothee Constable Knight it was learned that possession of the bicycle hail somehow been obtained by tMcKenzie in Auckland, that he had taken it to a garage in Auckland, where it had been Bold on hie behalf. The evidence would show that McKenzie got early possession of the cycle in Auckland, and that he thereafter made a claim for compensation, alleging its loes in transit. Evidence was given by R. AL Tileley (stationmaster, Raetlhi), Adalbert Casey (railway clerk), and Wm. AL Cole (claims clerk), to the effect that a cycle was "exceseed" by accused at Raetihi on March 8, and left Raetihi by train that day, and that on April 5 accused claimed JCiO tor the lose of the machine. On May 25, when written to for special identification marks by which tne machine might be recovered, accused replied that he would not bother, and that he "supposed he would have to bear the i loss himself." I Edward J. Filmcr, railway porter,' testified to taking the. cycle bearing the registered number "W2160" from the express on the morning of March 10 and putting it in the luggage room. Ue later saw the same cycle iv possession of the , police. ' The case m proceeding.