SMUGGLING GOODS.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 740, 12 February 1910, Page 6

SMUGGLING GOODS.

.SENTENCES IN -AUCKLAND. . ; (By ,Teleera!pli.—Special CorresDondcnU . Auckland, February 11. Some timo prior to the. arrival of the; s.s. Whakatano, in Auckland a few days ago, the Customs officers were advised to keep .a sharp watch.- on, the-■movements'-'.of-'a coloured man named Samuel Simon Warwick; and a woman supposed to bo his .wife.]. It has since transpired that the woman ;is.not : Mrs. Warwick, but ono. Sarah-- March. ■,; The - Customs officers watched tho pair, and as a result they.wcre both arrested. on charges of smuggling. - •

In the "Police ' Court this, morning, ;beforo Mr. K . C.'. Cutten,.. S.M., Samuel Simon . Warwick ■'■ was ; charged' that .'he did unship certain, goods'.liable:to: duty, the'.duties for -which had 'not :'been • paid, ■ to,wit,',one piece of crepoliri?,- .one .pair ■of : slippers, oho gold. •' watch-chain, and ono -gold/neck-chain; and V. further, . that lie knowingly. harboured, kept, and . cealed -certain 'uncustomed -goods, to wit,, four pieces .of cloth,' one - gold-mounted umbrella, a shawl,' a pair of slippers, - a gold watch-chain, a. ..watch-chain, -a lady's chain,; a lady's watch,, -two -goldbrooches, and a gold -neckrchain. , . -Mr.; Selwyn Mays- conducted the- prosecution on behalf of the Department,- and Mr. J. E. Lnndon appeared for the. defendant. 'The prosecution:,withdrew: the "second 7 charge,. which was .really an alternative, and ' defendant.;,; pleaded guilty to the first one.' - - • Mr. Mays recited- the facts of.the. case. The accused, ;he said, was a' donkey-man. on tho: s.s. -.Wliakatane,':.which • ship. arrived .in ' Auckland • on' February 8. The • Customs i had some information about -iWarwick'' and ..the woman, . whoso name' had: sihco ' beeii' discovered to be March. A watch was kept, on them, and; the, result-.was that' on; the, evening of February 9 Warwick was . arrested with a: piece of; cloth. hidden .inside his vest, "and, theI',woman-with1',woman-with a'pair of. slippers; inside her-parasol. ■ •A* search,lvtas .made' of';the lodging occupied T by. both; of them, in common''with \tlie' result -that 'there 1 was' found other'articles'; enumerated, in the'charge. Most <pf:.the; jewellery was. new, jewellery arid -all; of; it was / good.: Ir; addition to' the ; artides ; there named, aT- parcel -' of''', dutiable . g6ods. ; ,.w'as',-found. ■on Aboard -the I ship' among; def eridanf s ef- ' fepts. ;Tbe ; total' yalue: of•';the. dutiable goods, oil board;-the ship'- and .'those ,-f oiind' m - his .lodging - and, in the .'-woman's; possession was '.£27' 55.,:. and the 'duty- oh r i810.; 'Mr.; - Mays urged that' thecase:- was • not .an - ordinary one, of, passengers;smuggling.;-It was;'becoming,<-ciuite;a;,business,'for,';mem-;, •b'ers: .of .'.ship's;', crewsr arid;'. evfen-'jofficers' -to - ovado, Customs- and;: to '.go. in for wholesale ■- smuggling.;« This' man ■ had • gone - one better: He' had employed '. this: woman:,i6 .run;'his . goods'r ashore. :; Thj)''woman; was .wearing "tho-. watch,.; the .chain, .' and - a : ; broochV-: ; when .-.she, was arrested. leaving:' the ' ship;- ...As ..'tending; to. show that. Warwick' did'in'.fact, carry, on W wholesale. ..-business in:- smuggling ioweUery;' l . Hr.'.i Maysproduced.: a .numb?r of. empty "boxes -of tho' -kin'd used' :by' j ewellers. for j packing ; brooches,-, etc., in, which; had: he^-found-in "accused's, lockerV JHe"' : 'sdg^te(if : that : " ; it l ; wjJf!jiiUttyyl.tiiafe' "a .vdonkeyinan'. would'/be; - abler, t? ■ i.treat himself- to 'any .very'.laige .quantity' W. jowellery! if ihe. had, to '.buy. it; with .'his' pay! -The'-womari;'had left, her position, .at.iE(4to^-.to''',aissist.'-'W'a^efcv i to-! bring 1 the i goods' ashore.'On - December, , 28;" last she >vrote .a :lettef:,;;to..h'im,' .warning' him : to; bo ; very .icareful,;- as-:the !;Customs; 'offi-; cers , were very, -'sftribt. '.In ;,the. prisoner Warsrick-s '.'notebo6k;';was jeitry'porting i.to;'be '.an''order a,-manat'-'the".Bluff;- and'-.the 'goods - to' • supply.*'-' that 'j order ? .were'. : : iri ! '' 'defendait's., possession.. f."V. r ;,'.' '- : V-:';: ';.:Mr"Euridon\-.denied; 'that.''aU, .the',.pro-, .p , erty\;enU'merafc'd''was.Vdunabl^; , fo'r, , ;tlie reason,'that .a- portion; of . it'had Heen in accused's "possession , for'-'some .years, -;and. ,>vas .not -lirought: ashore,',to -'be,'graded.; Also,. he!- contended; that vthe'.articles! were, , hot ;as'valuable., as'.-'Mr.: Mays, had irepresented.' Accused was convicted and fined' ,£3O. ;Sarali;"March ,was '.charged '.that she, ;Vas; iuiowiiigly concerned,in- a fraudulent evasion, and; attempted j evasion ;6f , .^Customs, duties - by one §a;muel' ;Simon • Wahvick.' ;l)efendant ~ pleaded ,not ' guilty.: i'iThe; evidence tendered for' the prosecution was that accused w'as 'frequently seen round the- sJupy.ithat '.shel'.wasy'ttrrested-'in'-. com- ,, pauy with;- Warwick,-with' dutiable (goods' ' '-in her'- v possession,; arid v that 'her'.'move: merits,.nandfutho . letter in., her: Ir-dgiiigs,: i jshowiediithat.'ishe.'knew; i'all , 'ahout whit . ,AVarv."ick was i-doing. ; '-'i - ■ ".In her ;owii evidenco; defendant denied that she, had any knowledge that War- ; \vick'was'a'smuggler!' ' He was;.bringing '. a, watch' out from England.- for. her—a ; present from her,mother—arid..her. warning -to him had been-intended: to- refer merely: to that. .She wished' him: to-pay 1 . duty on it fairly. - - , - :.Thei magistrate-held that:he'cpuld;c6me ;. ;to' no other 'thanVthat; accused March, kriew:thati;:.Wamyc,:,waS:'smuggling, and - that, .she was- assisting , him. "She was convicted arid , ;, ',