MORE WIRE ROPE CASES.

Auckland Star, Volume L, Issue 69, 21 March 1919, Page 6

MORE WIRE ROPE CASES.

■ — _ __ A STEVEDORE CHARGED. A charge of the theft of three coils of wire rope, value £3! 10/. the property of some person unknown, was made at the' Police Court to-day against Victor! Manns (35). foreman stevedore, em-; ployed by the New Zealand Shipping Co. Evidence was given that on Sep-i tember 11, Thomas Long and John Ormiston, members of the rirni of Long.; Ormiston and Co.. machinery- brokers.'

wen: to the New Zealand Shipping Co.'s 1 gear shed at the King's wharf, and were there shown some coils of wire rope by accused and another m*in. Mr. Long. after inspecting the rope, agreed to pur-, chase it at 1/11 per lb. The rope was catted to Long and OrmLston's premises, and delivered, and accused was paid £.'sl 10/. He signed the receipt "R. Patterson," and ;he purchasers said they knew accused by that name. Mr. Ormiston stated that he was present at the time when the agreement to purchase was made, but did not pay particularly ; close attention at the time", as Mr. Lon"f' was doing the* business. But the in> ; pressior; he got was that the rope vra.3 j being sold by the accused and some other men for themselves, and not for the New Zealand Shipping Co. The rope, or most of it. had since been sold.' A. H. Sine!, assistant manager of the Xew Zealand Shipping Co.. stated tnat accused was employed as foreman stevedore, sometimes about ships at the' wharf and at other times in the com-1 pany's gear shed. Accused had no authority to sell any of the company's wire rope, new or old. " j Charles Tucker, dealer, stated that on' Fe'bniary 11, when he was at the wharf, : accu-td asked him if the detectives had: been to him, and on witness asking why,' accused said: "They have been tracing this wire we have been selling." Witness asked accused if he had "pinched"' H, but accused made no reply to that I question, merely saying 'They'll get nothing ou: of mc." Plain-Clothes Constable Gotirley said that on Februa.y 7 he inquired" from accused if he had sold wire rope to Lor."* and Ormiston, and accused denied thai he had. He aiso denied that the signal, ture "R. Patterson" to the receipt°for! £31 10/ was his. but later he admitted both that he had sold the wire rope and had signed his name "R. Patterson." He said lie had got the rope from a bosun of a ship, and had divided tbe proceeds with other stevedores. Accused, who was represented by Mr Meredith, pleaded not guilty, and reserved his defence. He was" committed ■ to r.ie Supreme Court for trial I Another charge against Manns, that on October 9 he stole two coils of wire rope, valued at £2.5, is proceeding. i i