CARGO PILLAGED

Evening Post, Volume CIX, Issue 56, 7 March 1930, Page 11

CARGO PILLAGED

THEFT OF CIGAEET.TES

When the third and fourth officers, on the Shaw, Savill, and Albion steamer Raranga made an inspection o£ the holds yesterday morning, they found that a case of cigarettes had been broached, and that eight boxes, containing in all 4000 cigarettes, were missing. Detective-Sergeant Tricklebank was * informed of, the occurrence, with, the result that a seaman on the steamer, Frank Sydney Roseman Lis, was charged in the Magistrate's',, Court to-day with the theft of the cigarettes. He pleaded not guilty. The fourth officer gave evidence that everything was in order when he inspected the holds' on Wednesday night after work had ceased. ' In the interval between the two inspections the accused was the night watchman. Detective-Sergeant Trioklebank said that he found a number of packets of cigarettes in accused's bag. The latter maintained that he did not know how they got there Near the accused's bunk, witness found an empty packet, which Lis said he had found near the gangway on the previous night. He made a statement to the effect that a man whose name he did not know had given him the cigarettes. A further search of the ship revealed the remaining seven this which had been stolen hidden under coal in the bunkers. The accused, in the box, told ChiefDetective Lopdell that he had seen a man hanging about the hold early yesterday morning. Mr. Lopdell:^ "Is this man a member of- the crew?"—" Yes." "Could you point him out?"—"I could." Witness admitted that he had been given an opportunity of saying whether anyone else was involved, and he had replied in the negative. Mr. Lopdell (to the Bench): "It is quite possible that others are involved." Mr. E. Page, S.M., remarked that he thought lie should dispose of the case. He did not want to use the charge to force the accused to disclose the names of any others. In. convicting the accused, the Magistrate said that Lis was night watchman, and even if his story were accepted as being literally correct, it probably amounted to a case in which lie was a party to the offence. He must have known that the other man was stealing the cigarettes. "I look upon the broaching of cargo in this way, particularly by a man who is entrusted with the duty of night watchman, as a serious offence," said Mr. Page. A sentence of six weeks'' imprisonment was imposed, an order being made that the accused should be placed on board the steamer if it sailed from New Zealand before the expiration of the sentence.