ON THE HIGH SEAS

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 28, 27 October 1917, Page 7

ON THE HIGH SEAS

SECRET INFORMATION

SERIOUS CHARGE AGAINST A SEAMAN

Yesterday afternoon in the Magistrate's Court, before Mr. S. E. M'Carthy, S.M., a young man named George Skono was charged "that ho obtained information contained in s.s. 's Position Book, which might be useful to His Majesty's enemies, namely, secret information of route, movements, and position of the said steamship, contrary to the Official Secrets Act, 1011 (Imperial)." Mr. P. S. K. Macassey, who appeared for the Crown, said that Skono was an A.B. on the vessel, and on the date in question was employed cleaning out tho chartroom, where the Position Book of the vessel was kept in a locker. Accused took the book out of the locker nnd was making notes when the third officer entered and caught him. He was ordered to destroy tho notes, which lie did. In explanation he said he was looking at the book to settle an argument which was going on among the crew as to the position of the vessel. Mr. Macassey then went on to quote the provisions of the Act, and the legal iispecfs of the case. Ho then proceeded to call evidence. Robert Denniston, third officer of the —- when tho vessel was on a voyage from to New Zealand, said the accused was an A.B. on the same vcssol. The ship left port under secret Admiralty instructions, and this fact was generally known to the crew. The confiaen- ' tinl book showing the position of tho vessel each day was kept in a certain locker in the chartroom, and no member of the crew hod any right whntever to see the book. On the evening in question accused was oleaiung out the chartroom, and when witness went into the room. he found'the accused looking at tho Position Book, which was open in front of him, and ho was making notes. In explanation of his conduct accused said he was curions to know the position of tho vessel because the men were arguing about the matter.

To Mr. O'Leary: The man was entitled to be in the chartroom by reason of his duties. The Position Book was not locked up, and was procurable by nnyone. who cared to open the locker. Accused said he was examining the book because he was desirous of knowing tho position of the vessel on account of the men having some argument about it. Witness reported the matter to tho captain, and accused was told by the captain next morning that, ha would be "put up" when ther'reached New Zealand.

George Francis Rudkin, clerk of the Defenco Department, also gave evidence of a special character.

This concluded the case for the Crown. Mr. H. F. O'Leary. who appeared for the accused, said it was not a. case to go to the Supremo Court, for there was nothing to answer. It was not shown that accused obtained the information for any ulterior purpose, nor yet that he was disloyal. tn the course of his duty he had to open the looker to clean some parts of it, and seeing the book the arguments of.tho crow recurred to him, and he examined the book to satisfy himself on. the point. Tho accused, in giving evidence, said he was boru in London, and was 22J yours of age. His parents died four yea.. - s iiftor ho was born, and he was brought up in an orphanage, where ho stayed until he was 15. Ho then joined H.M.S. Exmoul'h, and eighteen months later entered the mercantile marine, aivl had always sailed in British vessels. He considered himself s. Britisher. His sister was working in a munition factory in England, and no foreigners -wern allowed in those factories. Ho had endeavoured to enlist three timfs while in New Zealand. AVhen he was cleaning a certain locker in tho chartroom of the vessel named ho saw the Position Book, and as there was some argument among the men then as lo tho position of the vessel he looked nt the liock in order to settle the argument. He was taken before the captain next morninf, who said ho wovild put him (Skone) "up" in New Zealand. He still continued to clean out the chartroom, and were he disloyal or evilly disposed he could have damaged many valunble instruments. He never got the information from tto book for any other purpose than to settle the argument among the men. To Mr. Macassey: He knew the course set was a secret. He had to lift the lid of the looker to clean it, and it was then that he saw the Position Book. He did not realise that he was doing wrong m looking at the book. He believed other niembers of the crew had also examined the fcook. ~ Mr. O'Leary said that ho was unable to call evidence to prove that a discussion was going on among the tnen at the time because tho crew had been paid off at a certain port and the men had dispersed. , Accused pleaded . not guilty and was committed to Ihe Supreme Court for trial. Bail was refused.