The Police and the Cabman.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XL, Issue 8052, 1 April 1905, Page 5

The Police and the Cabman.

The Council as a Court.

The. committee appointed by the Borough Council to investigate matters in connection with' the report lodged by the police against the cabman, W. Campbell, in which he was alleged to have driven a man to a house of ill-fame in town where the latter, it was alleged, was robbed of £6 by a woman, met at the Council Chambers on the 29th inst. There were present Crs Haydon (chairman), Essex, Goodger and Tolley. '] Mr Cooper appeared on behalf of Campbell.

. In his evidence, Campbell, inter alia; detailed particulars in connection with the first charge made against him by the police that he had driven a couple of married men and two women about the town in his cab. He said the cab was ordered and the fares, who were named, were well behaved. The same p'eojile had been driven in other cabs in town' and no report had been made by the police. Eegarding the second charge, Campbell said the man Davey, after j riding on the box with. him. from the railway station, came to him later on in the day, half intoxicated, arid asked to I be driven to a cheap boardinghouse. Witness drove him to an equal distance between-., two cheap . boardinghousesin Main. street, ' pointed them/--both out to Davev. and set him'dowi. He, was paid! a 6d by Davey. ''The latter! had inquired for undesirable' women and witness told him he knew' nothing I of them or if there were any in the town. Two hours after Davey came back to the cab stand and said he had been robbed of £6., He accused Campbell of getting a " cut " out of it and wanted to fight. Witness sent him to the police to complain of the , robbery. Detective Maddern came back with Davey and asked Campbell if he had driven Davey to a brothel and for which he had got 5s from Davey. Witness denied both statements. The proper fare was Is but Davey refused his charge.' Witness said he had driven cabs m Dunedin, Invercargill and Palmeraton, and had never had a charge laid against his character before. He had been informed the police- desired the boardinghousekeeper to lay an -information against him for defamation of character, after telling her they could not be called as witnesses.

Evidence in support was given by Albert Cutler, who said he had .been with Davey when the police asked him for a statement. Davey did not wish to giye one'unless-the, police kept his name out of 'the paper, and that they agreed to do. Davey told witness the police said they would not want his evidence as the Council would deal with Campbell's license, and they were sure they had him this time.

It was decided by the committee that the Council be recommended to forward the whole of the evidence, .together with the police report and sworn statement to the Commissioner of Police and ask why the pblic"e,did not attempt to bear out their statement by appearing at the enquiry, and if they belieyed a robbery had been committed why they did not prosecute, and if they believed a brothel existed in the town why. did they not take steps to suppress it.

The Council considered the committee had arrived at the only decision left open to them and unanimously adopted the report.

Campbell will be granted a provisional license till the result of the investigation by the Commissioner of Police is known.