REWANUI MINER FINED

Greymouth Evening Star, 16 April 1934, Page 2

REWANUI MINER FINED

ON TRAIN WITHOUT TICKET At the Magistrate’s Court, Greymouth, to-d'ay, before Mr. H. Morgan, S.M., George Elliott, a miner, of Rewanui, was charged that on January 5, 1934, he did travel on the railway between Rewanui and Greymouth, and Greymouth and Rewanui and did fail to produce a ticket, or pay the fare, in addition to the booking fee, when required to do so by the guard. He was charged with similar offences on February 10, February 12, and March 3, and also with using indecent language on March 3, on the train. Senior-Sergeant E. Quayle represented the police. Defendant pleaded not guilty to all the charges, and conducted his own defence. , Robert Louis Gick, railway guard, said that on January 5, he saw defendant travel on the train from Rewanui to Greymoutli, in a second-class carriage. Defendant had no ticket, and had no money to pay, but said he would pay the two fares coming back. Witness was not on the train coming back, and did not know if defendant paid on the return journey. Witness notified the guard on the return train, that defendant was to pay for a return ticket. Questioned by the defendant, witness said he had not received a ticket from defendant on any occasion he had travelled on the train. It was not a fact that witness, and other guards tried to tantalise defendant. All the guard's wanted .was a ticket. Cecil Tucker, railway guard, said that on January 5, he was in charge of the Dunollie-Rewanui train. Before witness took charge guard Gick told him there was a passenger, on the train without a ticket, and pointed out defendant to witness. Witness asked defendant for a ticket, but he said he had none, and had no money to pay for one. Giving evidence, defendant said the position was that he had been in the Grey Hospital for 15 months, with a serious nervous breakdown, and was discharged only on February 5. The S.M.: That has nothing to do with this charge. Defendant: Bi\t three of those charges are for offences while I was in Hospital. The S.M.: You are giving evidence in connection with the charge of January 5. “Yes! That is the only one Im going to flight!” —“Well, you’re fighting it now, Elliott.” Continuing, defendant said, that the evidence of Gick was by no means correct. He would swear that he was not asked for a ticket on the train that

day. Before witness boarded the train, he was asked if he had a ticket, and he said he had. Witness did have his ticket on that occasion, and produced the return halt in Court. The S.M.: Are you putting that in as evidence?

Defendant: Well, sir, you can have it if you want it. I don’t want it. That ticket has been up to Mr. Sterling, and has been returned to me. You want it taken as evidence, then?—-Yes, sir (handing the ticket to the S.M.). That is the return half of the ticket I had in my possession on that date (January 5). _ Have you had a look at this, ticket you, have handed me? —Well, I think I ought to have, seeing I’ve had it all this time.

Well, I’m afraid 1 your case is hopeless, if you depend on this ticket. It is dated March 23, and is from Dunollie to Rewanui. To the Senior-Sergeant, defendant admitted he was on the RewanuiGreymouth train on January 5, and not in hospital. Giving evidence regarding the second offence, Ernest Stanfield Calverley, railwayguard , said that on February 10, he was in charge of a Grey-mouth-Rewanui train, which left Greymouth at 9 p.m. Witness saw defendant in a second-class carriage on that train. Defendant could not produce a ticket, and had no money to pay. He travelled all the way from Greymouth to Rewanuj. To defendant: Witness was sure defendant was on the train on that date. Defendant: Well, you must be mistaken, because- I’ve never travelled on the nine o’clock train since I left the hospital. The S.M. said he was satisfied defendant was on the train, and did not have a ticket. Giving evidence regarding the charge against defendant for March 12, witness said he saw defendant on the Dunollie-Rewanui train on February 12, and he had no ticket, and could not pay the fare. Defendant You are sure yOtl saW me? —Yes! Perfectly.

“WAS NEVER ON IT” Well, you must have been mistaken, because 1 was never on it, anyway! Thomas Andrew Gilmour, guard in charge of the 3 p.m. train from Greymouth to Du,nollie on February 12, said defendant was on that train, and had no ticket. At Dunollie, witness handed the train over to guard Calverley, and told him defendant had had no ticket on the way from Greymouth to Dunollie.

Robert Louis Gick gave evidence regarding the charge relating to March 3. Witness saw defendant get on the Greymouth-Dunollie train on that day, and asked him if he had a ticket. Defendant replied that he had.- Witness asked him before he boarded the train, as he had been in the habit of travelling without a ticket. Witness was in the van, and defendant came along soon after the train started, and abused witness, using the words mentioned in the information. Defendant appeared to have had liquor. On checking the train, witness asked' him for a ticket, but defendant could not produce one. Defendant abused w’itness again on the carriage platform, after he had been asked for his ticket. To defendant: Witness did not know what prompted the abuse. He did not put his hands on defendant to help him on to the carriage. Defendant: No! I know you wouldn’t! Defendant fired numerous questions at the witness, causing amusement. What’s your idea coming here trying to railroad me? —I’m not trying to railroad you. You’re laying these charges against me.—No. lam not. I merely reported the fact that you didn’t have tickets.

Were you sober? —Well, having had only four or five drinks during the 8 or 9 months I have been in Greymouth, I would not say I was drunk. Who brought the 10 o’clock train out that night?—l don’t know. I don’t remember. ■

Well, yoq did! I was on the platform when the train arrived. You had two or three blokes in the van, and I venture to say here that none of you were sober.—Neither you nor

anyone else has ever seen me have a drink on a train.

You came down here with a set against us miners, didn’t you?—l certainly did not. I had a great deal to do with the miners up north, and decent ones, too.

Oh! Yes you did. I heard your pedigree up north. The S.M.: Have you any more questions, Elliott? Defendant: No! No more questions! There are other times and places for settling things like this. Eli Cooper, stationmaster at Runanga, corroborated the evidence of the previous witness regarding the obscene language used by defendant on March 3.

Bruce Currie, guard, said he was in charge of the 3.40 p.m. goodspassenger train irom Rewanui to Greymouth on March 3. After leaving Runanga, witness checked the train, and received tickets from all but Elliott, who said he had no money. Defendant: I cannot understand how I said I didn’t have a ticket, when I did have one. The S.M.: Well, you didn’t produce it. Defendant: I can’t say how I said I didn’t have one, as I never travel on the train 'without a ticket. The S-M.: Well, it’s been proved conclusively that you have travelled without a ticket. Have you any more questions?—No. I’m getting too crook to answer questions! The Senior-Sergeant handed in a list of defendant’s previous convictions and said he was at present on probation in connection with a false pretences charge. The S.M. said defendant certainly had a formidable list, and pointed' out that he was liable to a fine of £lO ou the railway charges. Defendant was convicted on all the charges and fines totalling £6, with £3/11/- costs, were imposed, including £2 and 13/costs on the indecent language charge. He was allowed seven days in which to make payment.