SERIOUS CHARGES.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 111, 3 February 1908, Page 6

SERIOUS CHARGES.

TAMPERING WITH . A STEAMER'S ■ . MACHINERY.. ACCUSED CONVICTED OP ASSAULT. (BT TF.LEGEA.riI —PRESS ASSOCIATION.) / ■ Cisborne, February 1. The machinery of the Union S.S. Cora?any's Tuatea (which conveys passengers rom the wharf to intercolonial steamers) was tampered with, last night. The engineer, on visiting the vessel, found in the engine-room a fireman who had been discharged that day, and accused him-of tampering with the machinery. The man said he was only looking for some clothes, and on being ordered from tho ship, he refused to leavo, and struck the engineer. At 4 o'clock this morning it was found that emery powder had been poured on the bearings, a sea-cock had been opened, and tho dynamo had been put out of gear b? the parts being saturated' with oil. /. •, . At the Police Court to-day, James Campbell, recently employed ;on the Tuatea as fireman, pleaded guilty to assaulting the engineer. He stated that he had only gone to get a towel he had left in the engine-room and had been aggravated by tho. way. he was spoken to. Ho was fined £2, and was remanded to Friday on a charge that lie did wilfully , damago tho steamer Tuatea with the intention of rendering her useless. In his evidence the engineer stated thattho accused knocked him insensible, knelt on his chest, and tried to throttle him.