IN STRICTEST CONFIDENCE.

Auckland Star, Volume LI, Issue 77, 30 March 1920, Page 5

IN STRICTEST CONFIDENCE.

TWO HINDS OF MILKING. CITY AND COUNTRY WAYS. »; A complaint that throe youths of ..Devonport had la-en "taken down' by a ! glib-toiigucd coniideiico man was the sub- . I ject of ini'iuiry before Mr. J- V* • Poynton S M.. 'when a young man, 1 Robert Charles Dixon 1271 was .-barged ' th"t early thi- month he obtained i. lo 'by fate i.roten.o,. Albert Hales, a ' v'oun" man. of Devonport, who had had ''some cxpericu. f farm work, stated ' that on March 4 accused informed him V that he had been authorised by Mr. V\. I Clarke, of Kaikohe, to engage throe men as share-milkers. Accused inquired if witness knew any other good men, and he brought along two mates. Arthur I Halvev and Reginald Plesner. Accused intimated that Mr. Clarke wanted ' some scctiritv to guarantee the attendI anco of the men at the farm at 'Kaikohe on the agreed time. He said ,|Clarke wanted £40 security, but eventu,'nlly agreed to make it £20, taking £o . . from each of the three youug men, and 'leaving lie would add another fiver to . ! make up the sum required. He made out i' a rough agreement for them to sign, and r ,then mode several appointments to have • : tho agreement drawn up in legal form ''.at a solicitor's oilice. After tho appoint- ' ments had come to no result, for various treasons. Hales got suspicious and informed the police, with tho result that ''on March 13, Plain-Clothes Constable " I Robertson joined in an appointment 5 j made for that day in Queen Street. After "I protesting that everything was all right, ■laooused ran away, but was chased and '• caught by the young men. Inquiries 1 j made by " C-onsta'ble 1-ambert, stationed • at Kaikohe. failed to bring to light any f ] dairy farmer in the district answering to ' I the "name of Win. Clarke. After having " | been taken into custody accused stated - that it was true that Clarke had authof rised him to get share-milkers. He said he had spent nearly £13 of the money obtained from the young men. In his possession when ho was arrested was a Prisons P.oard document, showing that he was out of prison as a probationer on license. Accused, who pleaded not guilty and reserved his defence, was committed to tho Supremo Court for trial, i ' :l ______________Z___^T^^^^