KATRANI WAS RIGHT.

Auckland Star, Volume LVIII, Issue 113, 16 May 1927, Page 5

KATRANI WAS RIGHT.

"THREE MONTHS FOR NOTHING." GARRULOUS SLAV AGAIN. TRIED TO STOW AWAY. BACK AGAIN TO PRISON. It is no mean feat to travel from Naples, in Italy, to Auckland without paying one's fare. The sallow-faced Yugoslav, Nicola Katrani (30), with a name sounding like a comic opera, who succeeded in accomplishing this feat, and who got Due month's imprisonment on March 2S for stowing away on the Niagara, is in a bit of bother again.

This morning at the Police Court he was brought face to face with Mr. F. K. Hunt, S.M., for vagrancy, and also for being unlawfully on board the Marama on Friday last. Katrani was wrong in nearly everything he said before, and again this morning, with one exception. He complained bitterly that he got "three months for nutting." He was right for once anyway. He did get three months for nothing, for doing nothing, to wit, being an idle and disorderly person with insufficient lawful means of support, plu3 another month for being on board the Marama without lawful excuse. Mr. Ferri acted as interpreter, and as soon as he proceeded to read the charge to Katrani. the accused commenced to get fearfully excited, and at times blasphemous—as he did when last before the court. Detective Robertson stated that Katrani, both before and since his mojnth served in Mount Eden, loitered about the waterfront and the sliips. Early last week witness warned him to keep away from ships. Katrani then made no secret of the fact that lie intended to stow away and get to Sydney. On Friday last, not long before the Marama's departure for Sydney, witness was summoned to the vessel. There he found Katrani on board. Accused stood stoically looking at the purser, who was examining tickets handed to him by passengers as they went on board. Accused then alleged that the purser had his ticket. However, when it came to the test, Katrani was not able to prove this. When searched, he had only a shilling on Mm. He had no right on the ship. "When ho stows away, he is arrested and sent back here to us," said Chief Detective Cummings. "Tell him he's been loafing about and not doing any work," said Mr. Hunt to Mr. Ferri. " , When Mr. Ferri had communicated the magistrate's words to accused, Katrani spoke quickly and loudly for a minute or so, gesticulating the while. "What's all that mean, anyway?" asked the magistrate. "Ask him why he tried to claim another man's ticket." Mr. Ferri then stated that Katrani would not work. His fellow countrymen in Auckland had done all they could for him, but he would not stay in positions that had been found for him. "South America is the place for him, they might have him there." Last time, said Chief Detective Cummings, Katrani stowed away on the Niagara and went to Sydney, only to be brought back here again. He had travelled right from Xaples to Auckland as a stowaway, without paying his fare. "Three months' on the first charge, and one month's imprisonment on the second, to be cumulative; that's all we can do with him," said Mr. Hunt. When the sentence was communicated to Katrani he became excited and wailed and sgbbed. "Three months for nutting," and occasional swear words, he uttered as he was led into the prisoners' room. There he became worse and called out at the top of his voice. He refused to be quietened, and created such a fuss as to make himself annoying to the other prisoners, eventually having to be removed to another room.

However, by the time he filed out to the van with the others, he had calmed down, in fact he was smiling as he emerged from the rear of the Courthouse.

So once more Katrani is a "dead head." He required no ticket to admit him where he was going.