TOBACCO TAKEN INTO PRISON

Evening Star, Issue 21581, 29 November 1933, Page 11

TOBACCO TAKEN INTO PRISON

TOO OBLIGING CARMAN Following the Scotland Yard inquiry into cases of alleged smuggling at London prisons, William Smith, carman, Camberwell road, S.E., was fined ZOs at the Southwestern Police Court recently for introducing into Wandsworth Prison a packet containing four and three-quarter ounces of tobacco. ' The Magistrate said that defendant had let himself be carried away by his good nature. Detective-sergeant Drew, of Scotland Yard, said that Smith had been with his employer for twenty years on and off, the last time being for eighteen months. He was given a very good name as a worker, and was very obliging. That was what bad happened in this case I —he had been too obliging. It was thought that for some time this sort of thing had been going on. Detective-sergeant Drew said that when he served the summom Smith replied: ‘‘This is how it happened. Some time ago a fellowrl had seen inside the prison got me outside, and asked me if 1 would take something iti for the boys. I told him I would have nothing to do with him. This fellow kept pestering mo several times after, and at last I fell for it, and I gave him my address and told him to write. Some time later 1 got a letter which had a ten 'shilling note in it. The letter had no name or address on it, blit I guessed where it came from. In the letter they asked mo to take some tobacco into the prison and to give it to the dark fellow who works in the shed; I kept the money for about a month, and then took the tobacco into the prison. I do not know the name of the man who stoppc.l me and tried to get me to take the stuff in, but 1 know he wae a prisoner at Wandsworth.”

Smith now expressed his regret for his action, adding that he had lost a good job.