"A CONSTANT SOURCE OF TROUBLE"

Evening Post, Volume XCVII, Issue 50, 1 March 1919, Page 9

"A CONSTANT SOURCE OF TROUBLE"

.•■•, On the 31st January last, a man named_ L. Gestro caused some trouble on a train travelling between Wellington and Ngaio. His behaviour resulted in his appearance at.. the Magistrate's Court yesterday, when he was charged with not paying his fare between.. Ngaio and Thorndon, obstructing M. Lee, . the guard, on the train,, and,. further, with abusing the guard. Acting Sub-Inspec-tor Emerson, in'outlining the'facts, said that accused was a' passenger on the Thorndon-Paekakariki train,, which left Thorndon about 6.24- p.m. He boarded the train while in a drunken condition, and when asked by- the guard to sit down refused to do so. Accused's behaviour became so bad that the guard had to put him off at Ngaio. While the guard was leaving the-man-to regain the train Gestro caught hold of him, and attempted to prevent him from boarding the train. . His attempt, however, was not quite successful, and the guard was able to board. the last carriage just in time. On the same day as the train was returning to. Welling-ton,-Gestro again got aboard, and when asked for his ticket presented an. out-of-date: workers' ticket. He had . since paid the fare. .

... Gestro, in. evidence, said that he had been travelling between Wellington and Johnsonville for the past,' six months, but this was the first time he had been put off the train. ..•..-

Inspector Emerson; said .that the Rail-. way Department had stated that Gestro was a constant source of trouble, and he also had several previous convictions against him. "It seems to me," said the Inspector, "that this, man is quite all right when he is sober,. but he 'is a nuisance when he has a few drinks in him." '.'■'• . ■' ' ..

Mr. P.-V. Frazer, S.M., fined Gestro £2, with . 7s. costs, for abusing the guard, and £5 with' 19s costs for obstructing the guard. "I hope this will be a warning to you, Gestro," said his Worship. ■ / . •■■■'.