THE ROUND-UP

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3139, 18 July 1917, Page 7

THE ROUND-UP

FIRST DIVISION MEN BEFORE THE COURT UNSATISFACTORY REPLIES .At the Magistrate's Court yesterday, JHr.S. E. M'Cartby, S.M., dealt, with the oases-of some,men concerned in tho police raids of Monday. A .returned soldier was charged with ib.ni, iwuig a First Division reservist, he toiled to give tho location of his place of ■abode,when questioned by Senior-Serge3Jit AVade, ond ho was further charged with tising obsceno language. Sergeant Wade s-tated 'that he visited tho Central Hotel, where ho saw defendant and asked him to .produce his cerl 4 flcate. Defendant wanted 'to know by what authority ho asked tho question. Trio witness stated that the request was mado, under the Military Service Act, to which defendant replied, ,'Tho -,— Dog Act." Witness then asked defendant if he refused to answer the questions !put him, audi asked him who he was and whom he lived. Defendant 'said he won Id. not refuse to answer, and said hu.naiuVwris , and that ho had ho Christian name. When asked Where ho lived, ho replied, "In a house." On being told that that, was no answer 'to'the-question ho remarked that it would have to do, anyway. The defendant was "then arrested." ' V ' The constable who look defendant, to it.he station deposed that on tho way to the Lambton Statiou'defendant mado nso of the obsceno language mentioned in the ■charge. Defendant denied having made use of 'the ol>sceno language. Ho said ho was a returned soldier, and hnd been wounded and gassed. . " ■ _ The -Magistrate paid tho defendant was in Court as Iho. result of his own temper. He could easily, have told tho sergeant he was a discharged soldier. He was fined 405., iii default It days' imprisonment, for using; obscene language, and 6n the other charge ho was • convicted and ordered to come up for sentence when '.called, upon, ' '". . ' A RESERVIST DESERTER.. James- Russell was. charged with failing to give his address to SeniorSergeant Cream when requested to do so. T-Vhen asked by the sergeant where he lived, defendant replied, "Anywhere/' Subsequently he stated'that'he worked for a man at Masterton, but was unablo or unwilling to givo tho address'of his alleged employer. At this" stage the case was adjourned until the afternoon to onable the police to make further inquiries, and/on- resuming' Inspector Marsack stated-that Russell was drawn in the first ballot and was ordered to parade at Rotorua, but failed to do' so. Ho was convicted and fined 405., in default U. days' imprisonment,, and was ordered to b9 handed over to the military authorities. . . UNDER AN ALIAS. ' . A man 30 years of age, married, biit without children, giving the assumed name of "George Selby," was charged with failing to make application to enrol as a reservist under the Military Service | Act. The'defendant was arrested at 8 o'clock yesterday morning, and was given every facility by tho police officials to obtain such papers or documents as might be'thought necessary for his defence. When-' the sergeant went to tho house where the defendant was lodging tho landlady, a Swedish woman, is alleged to have denied having a boarder. The sergeant, however, was persistent, a.nd eventually managed to effect the man's arrest. In giving'evidence on his own behalf, defchdaril claimed .td'be an.Ameri-, can subject, but could give no details 1 of the birthplace of his parents. Ho admitted that "George Selby" was an as- j surned and Tefused to' give his real name even when pressed by tho Magistrate. He said that he was working as a driver "of a breadcart. The Magistrate told the defendant that it was his duty to prove" to the satisfaction of the Court that he was an American subject, and hehad not done so. He was living under an assumed name, and Tefused to give his real name'so that inquiries could be made.. The Court'must assume that.he was a British subject. Ho would be convicted and sentenced to seven days' imprisonment, the-police in the meanwhile to communicate with the military . au- < thorities.