DOMINION ITEMS

Greymouth Evening Star, 4 November 1944, Page 2

DOMINION ITEMS

BODY FOUND. GISBORNE. November 3. The body of George Thompson, aged 23, a station manager, of Tokommm Bay, who had been missing since Wednesday morning, when he went out in a boat to lift crayfish pots, was found washed ud on a beach some 1 distance from the upturned boat. MUNICIPAL ASSN. WELLINGTON, November 4. The retirement of Mr. T. Jordan (Mastertori) from the office of president of the Municipal Association of New Zealand, which he has held for the past eight years, was recognised by the delegates at the annual conference which concluded to-day, Mr. J. W. Andrews (Lower Hutt) making a presentation of a cheque. He paid a tribute to Mr. Jordan’s grasp of local Government affairs, and to the splendid lead he had given at all conferences.

Officers elected by the conference were: —President, Mr. J. W. Andrews, (Lower Hutt); vice-presidents, the Mayors of Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, and Dunedin. and Messrs T. L. Seddon (Feilding), R. Goldstone (One Tree Hill); executive, Messrs A. E. Mansford (Palmerston North), H. A. Anderson (Mt. Albert). E. R. Neale (Nelson), C. G. Burgess (Sumner), C. T. Smith (Blenheim*, P. Thomson (Stratford), V. M. Tracey (Papatoetoe) and A. A. Luddell (Otautau).

YOUTH’S THEFTS

CHRISTCHURCH, November 3

Before Mr Raymond Ferner, S.M., at the Magistrate’s Court, to-day, Biuce Bi liens Rollon, a shop assistant, aged 19. pleaded guilty to the theft of a pair of trousers valued at £l/15/-, the property of Tames Bartealo Russo, and the theft of £4/8/in money, and three bottles of beer valued at 6/-, the property of Joseph Robert Cornyns. Detective-Sergeant Herron said that the acused met an American seaman at a dance and suggested buying some beer. The seaman’ gave him what he thought was a £1 note, but which was found subsequently to be £5. Rolton brought six bottles of beer and left them under a bridge. He told the seaman where they were, but gave him no change and later went back and took three bottles Accused had been convicted for an offence at Greymouth just previously and was on a suspended sentence. He had been “playing up” at home and left home after his lather had given him a good hiding.

“I think we had belter have a full report on this young man and his doings;,” said the Magistrate in remanding Rolton in custody -for a week before sentence.

PRISON ESCAPEE

AUCKLAND, November 3

A plea that he should not be placed on the list as an habitual • criminal and a statement that ho had been overwhelmed by mental torture through having been so declared, was made by John Henry Wilson, aged 27, who escaped from the Auckland Prison in July, when he appeared before Mr. Justice Fair to-day for sentence. He was charged with escaping from lawful custody and with resisting an effort for his lawful apprehension later by assaulting Detective Jones. A charge of being a rogue and vagabond in that he escaped "from prison was preferred also, but his Honor said this charge was really a survival of early Victorian legislation and that escaping from prison did not really make a man a rogue and vagabond. As an alternative charge it should be withdrawn. Mr. V."R. Meredith, Crown Prosecutor, agreed to withdraw that charge, but reminded his Honor that Wilson had three escapes in his list.

In his plea, Wilson said it was the mental torture he was suffering that had actuated him in escaping, though before his escape he had done his best to do what was required of him. His Honor told the prisoner that he had previous convictions for escaping and had been given chances by lenient treatment which had been abused. It was to the prisoner’s credit that none of the offences had been accompanied by violence. For making his escape Wilson wo*uld have nine months added to his present sentence, and for resisting arrest a further three months would be added.