WENT FOR CHANGE

Dominion, Volume 25, Issue 265, 4 August 1932, Page 6

WENT FOR CHANGE

£lO Note in a City Bar MAN FINED FOR THEFT Yesterday’s Police Cases If a barmaid in a certain city hotel had been able to change a £lO note late on Tuesday afternoon, it is unlikely that George Sidney Farrow, carter, aged 32, would have appeared in the Police Court yesterday charged with its theft As it was, however, the barmaid was, unable to cash the note for one of Farrow’s companions, and Farrow offered to go outside and get it changed elsewhere. But he did not return to the bar, and was later arrested on the point of going south by the ferry steamer. Mr. E. Page, S.M., convicted him and fined him £lO, in default one month's imprisonment When Farrow had pleaded guilty to the charge, Sub-Inspector Ward said that at about 5.30 p.m. on Tuesday Farrow had gone into an hotel bar and joined two men, of whom one who knew him introduced him to the other. After a few minutes’ talk one of the men tendered a £lO note in payment for drinks, but the barmaid was unable to cash It, and Farrow picked up the note saying that he would get it changed. The others thought he was'going to the bottle store. But instead of coming back Farrow apparently walked out of the hotel and could not be foundHe was arrested by the police just before the ferry boat sailed the same evening, and it was found that he had bought a ticket under an assumed name. He had some money with him, and £4 teas recovered from his wife,, so that with the refund on the steamer ticket the whole of the £lO had been recovered Farrow’s excuse for his action was that he had been “in drink” at the time, but although he appeared to have had some liquor that afternoon there was no evidence that he was drunk. Counsel said that Farrow was a married man with one child, and had been unemployed for some time past He had come to Wellington about four weeks ago looking for work, but had not been able to obtain it Unfortunately he had been having a few drinks, and had yielded to a sudden impulse after having actually cashed the note for his friend at the bottle store. There was no doubt, counsel said, that Farrow had been under the Influence of liquor. Two and a half hours later he had been arrested by the police at the ferry wharf, and at that time was still under the Influence of liquor, although not quite drunk. x . The Magistrate: “I propose to impose a fine in this case. He will be fined the sum of £lO. In default of payment there will be one month’s imprisonment.” Farrow was allowed a week in which to find the money. Selling Company Shares Dishonest actions committed while in the employment of the Stewart Island Fresh Oyster Company, Ltd., led to the appearances of Allan William Wishart, a blacksmith, aged 41, on three charges of obtaining money by false pretences and three charges of failure to account for money which had been received by him. A total of £2O was involved, and Wishart was sentenced to three months’ imprisonment According to the police, he had obtained employment with the company in November, 1931, selling the company’s shares on a commission basis. At different towns in Otago during January he received three sums of money, £lO, £5 and £2, as application money on the sale of shares. It was his duty to account for those sums to his principals. Instead of doing so he fraudulently converted the money to his own use. When he was dismissed by the company on account of his drinking habits, he did not disclose that he had taken the sums of money and used them, and on different days in February he travelled round the Otago district and obtained three further sums of money as application money on the sale of shares. Having been dismissed from the company’s employ, he had no authority to do so. At present Wishart was serving a term of six months’ imprisonment in connection with a maintenance matter. The magistrate said that it was quite a series of charges. Wishart would be convicted and sentenced on each to three months’ imprisonment, the sentences to be concurrent with one another.

Stownway Charged Anxious to get home to England, where his mother lives, Robert Garlick, • a sailor, aged 50, attempted to stow away on the vessel Mahla, which left Wellington on Tuesday afternoon for Southampton direct. He was discovered, however, and pleaded guilty yesterday to charges of stowing away and attempting to travel without paying his fare. On the first charge he was convicted and fined £5, in default one month’s imprisonment, and on the second was convicted and ordered to come up for sentence if called upon within 12 months. Senior-Sergeant Scott said that Garlick had been found by officers who conducted a search of the vessel just before it was due to leave. Garlick explained subsequently that he wanted to get away to England, from where he had come originally in 19-18. He was a seaman by occupation but was at present unemployed. Senior-Sergeant Scott said that he would like to point out to the court that owing to restricted immigration schemes in force in various countries at the present time, shipping companies upon whose vessels stowaways reached those countries were obliged to bring them back, and were consequently put to further expense. Garlick told the magistrate that he had been to the shipping office in order to try to get away as a destitute seaman,'as others had done, but he had not been able to do so. The magistrate convicted him on both charges. Other Charges An elderly labourer, Henry Edward Jefferd, pleaded guilty to being an incorrigible rogue, with insufficient lawful visible means of support. He had been arrested shortly before noon on Tuesday while sitting in the tramshed at Aro Street. “This man,” said the magistrate, “has a very long list of convictions. He seems to be an habitual offender and to have spent most of his time in gaol. He will be sentenced on this charge to 12 months’ imprisonment.” Charged with breaking and entering with intent to commit theft, George Frederick Murphy, salesman, aged 34, was remanded until Wednesday next