HANGING ABOUT WHARVES.

Auckland Star, Volume LX, Issue 47, 25 February 1929, Page 9

HANGING ABOUT WHARVES.

SOMETHING IS SURE TO HAPPEN." GIVEN ANOTHER CHANCE. "This man is one of the many we have had recently who hang about the waterfront," said Sub-Inspector McCarthy about Joseph Thompson (61). who appeared at the Police Court this morning on a charge deeming him to be an idle and disorderly person with insufficient means of support. "Something is sure to happen when men like Thompson, with bad lists, hang about the wharves. He was warned by the police, too," added the sub-inspector. Thompson told the magistrate he had been working at Arapuni for nine months, and prior to that he had been employed for a similar term at the Waikaremoana hydro-electric works. Three weeks ago he came to Auckland with £30.

"You certainly have got a bad list — there are 27 previous convictions, and you were once declared an habitual criminal," Mr. McKoan told accused. "Yes, but those offences are years old," said Thompson. "I've got to live down those old convictions, and I've been working hard trying to do so." Mr. McCarthy said that Thompson had only been in town three weeks. The magistrate told Thompson that his list showed he had not been in trouble for seven year*. "You seem to have gone straight. Y T ou will be convicted and ordered to come up for sentence in 14 days. If you can get work in the meantime, you take it and nothing more will be heard of the matter."