SLEPT IN A CAVE.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIV, Issue 30, 6 February 1933, Page 9

SLEPT IN A CAVE.

MAN WITH EXPLOSIVES.

VAGRANT SENT TO PRISON. (From Our Own Correspondent.) OTAHUHU, Saturday. "This man is a bird of passage, and everywhere he has been offences have been committed,'' said Sergeant J. Cahill when prosecuting John Dome, aged-55, alias John Owen, alias George Rowe, in the Otahuhu Police Court yesterday afternoon. Dome appeared before Messrs. R. B. Todd and C. R. Petrie, J.P.'s, charged with being an-idle and disorderly person, with stealing a push cycle at Otahuhu on January 27, and with procuring and possessing a quantity of explosives without being the holder of a permit. Sergeant Cahill said accused had been found living in a grubfry state in a paddock at Westfield. In stormy weather he had slept in a small cave, and in dry weather under a 1 bush. His bed was two sacks spread over pine needles, and his only covering was a cow cover. He had been haunting the outskirts of Otahuhu for some time. The owner of the cycle had left it outside an Otahuhu hotel and the police had found it in accused's possession. His excuse was that he had been footsore and had taken it with the intention of returning it. Accused pleaded guilty to being in possession of 27 small plugs of gelignite, four large plugs, four coils of fuse and 24 _ detonators. He said lie had been living- in a house with another man who had left the explosives with him. Accused had buried the gelignite. "I can't say anything in this man's favour," said Sergeant Cahill, "as he has a long list of previous convictions." Defendant: There is one thing in my favour. The police knew nothing about me possessing gelignite, and I ' voluntarily gave them the information and showed them where I had buried it. I was afraid of fire sweeping over the grass and someone being injured by the explosion." Accused was convicted and sentenced to three months' hard labour on each charge, the sentence to be cumulative. The Bench remarked that accused would be much better off under control and discipline, as he was no good to himself or the community by being at large.