SEAMEN IN A CAR.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVII, 8 October 1928, Page 4

SEAMEN IN A CAR.

CRASH ON HIGHWAY. ALLEGED UNLAWFUL CONVERSION. Resulting from a short ride in a car alleged to have been taken from the Ngaere Gardens yesterday afternoon without the owner’s consent, James Murphy, a seaman, appeared in the Hawera Police Court this morning on a charge of unlawfully converting a car to his own use, while George Larsen, another seaman, who was the driver on the trip, is in the Hawera Hospital receiving treatment for head injuries. On the application of Sergeant Henry defendant Murphy, who had spent the night in the Hawera lock-up was remanded by Mr. L. A. bone to reappear next Monday. A crash into a bank at Te i\oti interrupted the journey, which, it- is understood, the two seafarers were making by road from Auckland to Wellington in search of employment. The journey in the car, a five-seatei belonging to Mr. J- Brisco, of ka-pon-a is alleged to have commenced at '"about five minutes past two. Twenty minutes later, with the dimmer headlights showing it was descending the slope on the north side of the Te Roti factory on the Loylan Road when it failed to negotiate the bend and crashed into the bank on the -arts right-hand side. - A car being driven in the opposite direction by Mr. Baden Henry, ot Hawera, with Sergeant Henry and three others as passengers, narrowly escaped being involved in a collision, careful manoeuvring on the part of Mr. Henry being necessary to avoid a smash. , „ , Rebounding from the first impact, the car carrying the sailors struck the bank a second and third lime before it came to rest* with the windscreen shattered, the steering control damaged, and the mudguard and running-board buckled. Larsen, who was seated at the wheel, was discovered in an unconscious condition by Sergeant Henry. A telephone message for a doctor brought Dr. Saunders, of Fit ham, to the scene, and he ordered the removal of Larsen to the Hawera Hospital bv ambulance. Larsen was suffering from a- deep gash oven t-ne right temnle, but recovered consciousness before leaving for the hospital. He wan reported this morning to be miakinot favourable progress. Mixiphy escaped with nothing more serious, apparently. than a few facial abrasions. Fr-om inquiries subsequently made, it appea-rrs that Murphy and Larsen were seen' at Inglewood at about 11 o’clock n the morning by -a. man named Percy On it, who was a 1 so travelling south .by road Curr later encountered the palr at Stratford and travelled with them on a- ilorrv from that town. Before reaching Ngaere the lorry left the main read, and the seamen secured a. lift in a car. but Curr continued’, the journey on foot. When he approached the Yraer© Gardens Curr saw the _ o-thoi iair endeavouring to start a side-car and cycle and later a. Dodge oar. .They started the latter ana invited Curr to V-'n them in a, trip to Wellington. Cun declined and went in search of the own 3V of the car. with the result that Con stable Townsend was communicated with at Eltliam and arrived to investigate the position shortly after the cap crashed at- Te Roti. Pursuit was also made from Ngaere. by Mr. S. Ward, of Stratford, who was able to o-ive Sergeant Henry the first intimation that the car was being used by the occupants without the owner s consent.