SMUGGLERS FINED

Greymouth Evening Star, 8 March 1933, Page 10

SMUGGLERS FINED

TOBACCO LANDED BY YACHT. LONDON, January 19. Charges arising out of the landing of 2661 b of unmanufactured tobacco lent from a yacht off the Essex coast >.vere deal; with before Mr Graham Campbell at. Bow-street. Police-court yesterday. I Penalties totalling ,£lOO were imposed on John Massey Fairhurst (32). 'salesman, and on John Poole (30), •dealer in electrical goods, both of Coiigleton, Chesllir(■. Rhodes East wood. (37), skipper of the yacht Volanto, of Bichmondstreet. youthampion. was fined a total of ,£-15 on two charges, ami a. further charge of lulling io report the arrival of his vessel a! Tollesimrv, Essex. I’uirhurst and Boole were also ordered to pay .£lO, jo - costs each and Eastwood .£5/5/- costs. Fairhuvst ami Poole said they were unable to pay, and the alternative c. us fixed in their cases :it three months’ imprisonment and in the case of Eastwood ar. six weeks’ imprismimeni. 1 airlmrst and Poole, ir was stated, bought the yacht m 11 erne Bay, and engaged Eastwood iml a seaman to navigate it. to Holland.. .Fairhurst and Poole there bought the tobacco, which was landed during the night at Woodrope Creek. Tollesonry. The head .ights of a motor-car were used as sigmis to the men on board. It war. furlu r alleged that ths. v as a trial trip, o Im followed by othm smuggling expeditions. Mr R. L. Fisk, prosecuting, said that I rhen trying to dispose of (ii t > tobacco I

| in London. Fairhurst and Boole said it | was inlciidi d to import up io five tons of tobacco. The merchant to whom the tobacco was offered refused io accept i.‘, and ii was ;h.n hidden in life cloak-room of a I midmi hotel. The duly on the 2GGlli of i.ohaeco was L’!39, and on five Cms about 11.7,000. | Mr ('. B. Grobel, for Fairhurst, said bis. client was in. Antwerp baying elec|triv;:l goods last N>' > mtier whip, ,a I DiiiHumin pul tiie ide of Him mlveni'licinio he; head, and Hie possibility of making; huge profits proved tin irre-l si. I ible all rail ion. j Mi' A. A. Tboimm ::: id iha t Las I- | wood, lor whom he appeared, had i bciii a sailor on a jin r .ami was tompoia.ily <ml of work at the time this' offer was made to him. A police officer slated that all three men bore excellent characters.