“WANTED” CLERK

Dominion, Volume 24, Issue 292, 5 September 1931, Page 9

“WANTED” CLERK

Extradition Hearing Adjourned POLICE COURT CASES When Duncan Stewart Reid, clerk, aged 28, appeared again before Mr. E. Page, S.M., on extradition proceedings in the Police Court yesterday, an application by Sub-Inspector Ward for an adjournment until Thursday next was granted. Reid was before the court on Thursday on proceedings involving an application for his extradition to Barranquilla, in the Republic of Colombia, South America. It was alleged that during the time he was employed as a clerk in the London and South American Eank in Barranquilla he embezzled £2OOO, and in a statement made to the police when he was arrested in New Zealand in April last, and which was read in court on Thursday. Reid admitted the embezzlement. At the hearing on Thursday several points concerning provisions of the Extradition Act were raised by Mr. W. E. Leicester, appearing for Reid, and an adjournment was grafted to allow Mr. P. S. K. Macassey, appearing for the Crown, to consider them. Yesterday Sub-Inspector Ward told the magistrate that Mr. Macassey was not ready to proceed, and an adjournment for one week was granted. Among the points raised by the defence was that no requisition for extradition had been made within 30 days of Reid’s apprehension or of his first appearance before a magistrate. Mr. Leicester said that he did not deny that there was a prima facie case for Reid to answer; he opposed extradition not that Reid might escape punishment but that he might escape punishment in Barranquilla, and be dealt with according to the principles of British justice. “The Spirits Told Him” “He said that ‘the spirits told him to’go away,’” said Senior-Sergeant Edwards when asking that Alexander Cardno, aged 74, who was charged with being an idle and disorderly person, be remanded for medical observation. The senior-sergeant said Cardno had wandered from the Ohiro Old Men’s Home, where he had been for some time. On two occasions when he had st fayed away he had been found by the police. He had said he would not go back to the home; he could not stay there—“the spirits had told him to go away.” The magistrate granted a remand for three days. Interpretatipn Difficulties Owing to interpretation difficulties, a charge against Leong Quai, a Chinese, aged 38, of remaining in New Zealand after the expiration of his immigration permit, was adjourned until Tuesday next, when a Chinese interpreter will be in court It was stated that Quai had come to New Zealand in March of 1926, arriving at Auckland. He had said he wanted to visit friends, and had been given a permit to stay in New Zealand for six months. When that time had expired the Customs Department had tried to locate him. but had been unsuccessful. In 1928 a warrant for his arrest was issued, and the police had been looking for him since then. He was understood to be a frequenter of gambling dens, and had been arrested in Haining Street. Answering the magistrate, the defendant’s representative said it was desired that Quai should be deported. Which boat accused sHbuld catch depended on whether any of his friends would pay his fare: Quai himself had no money. The magistrate granted an adjournment when it was found thnt accused had little or no knowledge of English. Unregistered Firearm On a charge of being in unlawful possession of a seveu-chambered .22 revolver. Harry Thomas Franklin was fined £2, and on a second charge of obtaining a firearm without a permit he was convicted md ordered to pay costs. Senior-Sergeant Edwards said that when the nolice had been checking over the addresses of persons who had registered firearms, it had been found that the original own'- of this particular weapon had disposed of it. On inquiries being made it was discovered that th» revolver had changed hands three times. The present owner had said that he was waitfor papers to come from the previous owner; in the meantime the revolver had been lost and no trace of it had yet been found.