SHIP’S STORES STOLEN

Greymouth Evening Star, 30 November 1929, Page 2

SHIP’S STORES STOLEN

BIBBMAN PLEADS GUIL’tY When doing their rounds hear the waterfront last evening Sergeant J. Smyth and Constable Patterson had their suspicions aroused by the actions of a man carrying a flour-bag. Their, investigations resulted in the arrest of James Manning, a fireman on the s.s. Kalingo. Manning appeared before Mr W. Meldrum, S.M., at the Greymouth Court to-day, and was charged with the theft of goods valued at 10/5, including butter, tea, soap, cocoa, jam, sauce, and pickles, the property of the Lamb Steamship Co., Melbourne. He pleaded guilty/ and added: “I was drunk, and don’t remember taking them, to tell you the truth. ’ ’

Sergeant Smyth said that the constable and himself saw accused come from the* direction of the Kalingo and knock at the door of the Oriental Hotel several times, but he got no answer. They examined the bag he was carrying, and found the stores. Accused said that they were his own property, and that he was going to give them to a friend; also that they were handed out. on the ship as rations, and he could do what he' liked with them. Hp. was arrested and taken to the police station, where he declared that the chief steward knew all about the stores.. The chief steward, when interviewed, , said that the stores were handed out to the crew as rations, and the theft was really from the men to whom the goods were issued for consumption. However, the sergeant submitted that the ship’s stores were the property of the company, and not of the crew. There was no doubt that accused was trying to dispose of the stores to hotels in return for liquor. He had been drinking. Accused was a stranger to New Zealand. He was married, and had a wife and three children in Sydney. The stores were recovered, undamaged. The captain of the Kalingo, in reply to a question, stated that Manning was a fireman. His conduct on the ship had been good. Accused stated that he had been drinking, and did not remember taking the stores. He had, he said, spent about £lO in a couple of days on beer. ~ ~ ~ “From what we can gather, said the sergeant, referring to the theft oi stores, “this sort of thing does go on in the port.” The S-M- (to accused) : The captain speaks well of you, and theie is nothing known previously against you. The fact that you are married will also be taken into consideration. You are convicted and ordered to come up for sentence if called upon within 14 months. The goods are to be returned to the owners. _____