COURT NEWS

Grey River Argus, 4 May 1937, Page 8

COURT NEWS

(Per Press Association.) CHRISTCHURCH, May 3.

Charged with the theft of a wireless set valued at £l2 'los, the property of L. B. Scott, Ltd., Robert Joseph Coady was ordered to come up for sentence if called on within six months. Detective F. Stewart said that in February last, Coady obtained a set to test from a city firm. On April 5 he pawned it for £2. Coady had been out of work for four or five years and he pawned the set to obtain money to travel to Petone, where h e had the chance of a job, said Mr K. J. McMenamin. The Magistrate ordered Coady to make restitution of £2.

In the Magistrate’s Court, William Jack Waddell was charged that on April 22, he obtained four motor-car tyres, valued at £l5 12s, from Wright, Stephenson and Co., Christchurch, by falsely representing that he was JWaddell, of Omarama Station.

Mr H. A. Young, S.M., remanded Waddell to appear on May 6. Bail was allowed in self £lOO, with one surety of £lOO, on condition that he reported daily to the police. DUNEDIN, May 3.

The rifling of th e property in the cabins of two members* of the ship’s company, one of whom died at sea and the other lost overboard, was admitted by a messboy on the steamer Hororata, Richard Pikersgill, aged 19, in the Magistrate’s Court. Piekersgill was charged with the theft of jewellery and money. The police stated that during the voyage to New Zealand the ship’s baker died. The usual search was made on the ship for the deceased’s property, which was taken charge of immediately. After th e burial at sea, Piekersgill went to the baker’s cabin and, searching through the deceased’s clothing, stole money, a gold chain and a sovereign which he sold at Wellington for 27s 6d.

While- the Hororata was on the East Coast, the seventh engineer was missing, and was supposed to have been lost overboard. A search for his property was also made, but the accused got in first and stole a watch. Another seventh engineer was engaged in Wellington. Piekersgill went through his cabin and stole money. Piekersgill was discharged from a London prison on January 30. The Magistrate said that a man of this type was not wanted in New Zealand. ' Piekersgill was convicted and ordered to come up for setnence. Arrangements are to be made by the master for restitution to be made from the accused’s earnings on the vessel’s homeward journey. AUCKLAND, April 30.

The Superintendent of Marine today prosecuted Captain G. E. Fox and Captain Alexander Smith, who were charged that, being persons engaged in cargo work, they permitted cargo gear to b e loaded beyond the point of safety. There was a further charge against Smith of using an iron ring which had not been tested. Both the defendants pleaued guilty. The Crown Prosecutor, Mr V. N. Hubble, explained, that regulations were made under the Harbours Act for th e safe working of cargo on wharves. In the case of Captain Fox, a tractor weighing more than 18' tons was being lifted out of the Port Denison on March 8, when it fell. Both the slings and the shackles were overloaded. This was not the cause of the tractor falling. It was caused- by the clutch of the winch gear slipping. One of the workers had a to e broken. One sling was overloaded three tons, and the other two and a half tons.

The Magistrate (Mr C. R. Orr Walker, S.M.), said that it was a question of the safety of life. Any breach of the regulations was serious. In both these cases the breach -was not the cause of the accident, but nevertheless the cases were very serious. He could not understand experienced men taking th e risk when they knew how serious it was.

Each defendant was fined £5 and ordered to pay costs, £2. On the second charge against Captain Smith, he was ordered to pay costs amounting to £1 10s.

WRONG CHARGE.

CONVERSION OF £5O NOTE. DUNEDIN, May 3. A girl, aged 21, whose name was suppressed, pleaded! guilty„ ion. Ire. mand a t 0 the theft of a £5O note. Chief Detective Young said the owner of the note was a woman iu poor circumstances, • who had just received a ' legacy including this note. She made a purchase at a city shop, ten. dering the note in mistake for 10s. The shop girl did not notice the de. nomination, later giving it to accused as change for a pound note. Later, two women went into a milk bar tendering this big note, their attention being drawn to its .size when the proprietor said! he could not change it. The wo. man wh 0 tendered the note, said she received it in a city shop, and two other women in the bar advised her to report to the police. When found by the police, she had cashed the note, but refused to -state where. Coimsel said that restitution could be made. He pointed out that the facts showed the girl had: no thought of committing theft, but had succumbed to a sudden temptataion.

Counsel added that unless £5O notes were altered there would be endless trouble. The Chief Detective; There are at least two others implicated in this, but they are brave enough -to sit back and watch this girl get into trouble. The Magistrate, remarking that the act was that of a foolish woman, adjourned the case under the Probation Act, provided restitution i s made. WELLINGTON, May 2.

When the R-angfctira arrived, at Wellington this morning from Lytteton the police were advised of the disappearance on the voyage of Mrs Fulton, a first-class passenger travelling with her husband, who, it is believed, lives' near Wanganui. Mrs Fulton, if is stated, was returning from Hamner, and because of the condition of her nerves her husband was accompanying her. They occupied a two-berth deck cabin and retired some time after 11 p.m. The stewardess who went t. o the cabin at about 6.30 a.m., found Mrs Fulton's berth .'unoccupied 1 ~ A search of the ship was fruitless, and it, is thought that the woman left fhe cabin without her hus. band’s knowledge some time after 11 p.m., and was lost overboard. With a loud report, a big oven on display at the Wellington Coronation Show., exploded on Saturday night and injured the demonstrator, J. H. Brewer, a cook, who was taken to hospital with concussion, and a scalp wound.

The explosion strained the .sides, blew a gaping hole in the top of the oven, which stood higher than the man, and sent a shower of fluffy white particles of insulation material -into the air. It also burst open the door in front, which it is thought, struck Brewer on the head.