JOINED THE ARMY

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20602, 1 November 1941, Page 8

JOINED THE ARMY

BORSTAL ESCAPEE MISTAKEN FOR DESERTER (Per Press Association.) INVERCARGILL, this day. The story of how a Borstal excapee joined the army and was about to go overseas when he was found by the police was told to Mr R. C. Abernethy, S.M., yesterday, when Edward Clarke appeared on a charge of unlawfully escaping from the Invercargill Borstal on March 25. The accused took a cycle as far as Brysdone, and then a car to Dunedin, where he ran out of petrol. He then managed to get a lift to Chevibt, and found work there. A constable saw he was a stranger and questioned hint one day. As Clarke answered to the description of a military deserter, complete with tattoo marks, the constable. challenged him with being this military deserter, and Clarke admitted it. He was arrested and taken under escort to Wellington and Auckland. When he was taken to the camp the officer there knew Clarke was not a deserter and challenged him with it. Clarke admitted lie was not the man who was wanted for desertion. Apparently the army authorities were in a quandary as to what to do with him. He was asked if he would like to join the army and he jumped at the chance. He seemed to have' been a good soldier. The magistrate said that they did not want criminals in camp. The accused spoke up from- the dock and said that the army did not care whether the men were criminals or not; they were there to fight. The accused was sentenced to an additional 12 months’ detention to the term he is serving already.