ROUND THE HOTELS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXI, Issue 164, 14 July 1930, Page 3

ROUND THE HOTELS.

JAUNT IN TAXI-CAB.

DKIVER CLAIMS BIG FARE

A SEVEN HOURS' RIDE

A story of a seven hours' ride in a taxi-cab, during which time most of the hotels in Auckland were visited, was told before Mr. F. K. Hunt, S.M., in the Police Court this morning, when George William Jackson, fishmonger, aged 30, was charged that, in incurring on July 3 a debt with Daniel Augustus Lindsay to the amount of £2 10/, he did obtain credit by fraud. i Lindsay, the taxi driver, had a long tale to tell about Jackson's ride. Accused had ridden in the cab for seven hours. After four hours, witness had asked him for some money. Accused said he had a cheque and that he was trying to cash it. Hβ could not do so at the hotels visited and gave witness his working address. Lindsay said he visited the place next morning, but was told that Jackson did not work there. ■ Visit To Gaol. Mr. McLiver, who appeared far Jackson, submitted Lindsay to a lengthy cross-examination, during which Lindsay said that while in a, hotel with a friend, Jackson had joined them. The friend hired the cab for a ride to the Three Lamps, Ponsonby, and Jackson had asked permission to ride with them. The three had a drink at Ponsonby and then Jackson went back in the cab to Hobsou Street, where he wanted to pick up a suit at a cleaner's shop. The place was empty and the pair adjourned to a hotel where accused rang up the police to find out where he could get his suit. He was told that he would have to go to the gaol, where he could get an order to obtain the suit from the cleaner. Witness drove Jackson to the gaol and they then went on to Newmarket and stopped outside another hotel. At this stage there was some argument between Mr. McLiver and Lindsay as to whether the latter had waved oV spoken to a woman outside the hotel. Witness denied having done so. He said they then visited another Newmarket hotel. Mr. McLiver: Did you have any drinks?— No. Did you go in? —Yes. What happened there? —I refused to have a drink with accused. Witness Loses Accused. According to Lindsay, he then drove Jackson back to the city, where the latter visited another hotel. He was in there for some time and when witness went to look for him he could not find him. Witness said Jackson had gone into the hotel to get a cheque cashed to pay him with. Finding Jackson later on in the evening, he told him that the fare would be .'JO/ and accused said, "Come over home and I will try and get the money to pay you." When he came out he said he hnd a cheque, and they went to another hotel to try and cash it.

Mr, McLiver: Did you go in with him? Mr. McLiver: Dirt y\:\ have a drink? — Yes. and I paid for it. Witness denied that he was awaie that accused had no money on him. An arrangement had. been made for Jackson to take two stewards for a ride in the evening, but they did not turn up. Mr. McLiver: If you had met the stewards and the night job had come off Jackson would have been cleared?— No. Lindsay said that he finally left Jackspn at another city hotel. "No More Hotels Left." Mr. Hunt.: It seems to me that there were no other hotels left. Mr. McLiver said that the defence was Lindsay was driving accused about in his cab. visiting the various hotels where Jackson was paying for the "grog." Put in the witness box, Jackson said that he left home that morning with £2 in his pocket and in the evening he had only 4/ left. He claimed that the only fee he owed Lindsay was from a city hotel to his home in Wavcrley Street, worth about 2/, and an hour's hire at night. He began telling the story of the visits to the hotels over again, but Mr. Hunt said, "I don't want to go through the list again." Mr. Hunt: What about the chequer Were you trying to cash it?—No I did not need to pay him. Accused added that he cashed it on the Monday mornins.

"It seems that you visited practically every hotel in Auckland," said Mr. Hunt. In making a plea for accused, Mr. McLiver said "he had been remanded for five days, and Mr. Hunt agreed that that had been sufficient punishment. Jackson was fined 10/ and ordered to pay the cab fare of £2 10/, in default seven days' imprisonment. He was given till August 1 to pay.