BAD RECORDS

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLVIII, Issue 226, 22 August 1928, Page 8

BAD RECORDS

YOUNG MEN IN TROUBLE

BOTH SENT TO GAOL,

Per Press Association. WELLINGTON, Aug. 22. ■ Robert Lancaster aged 22, and George Lawson, aged 22, who were arrested oil Saturday, appeared to-day charged with unlawful conversion at To Kuiti of a car valued at £250, theft at Wanganui and Waverloy of benzine value £1 14s, theft of a jack value £1 at Paekakariki, and theft of an attache case and a twogallon tin of benzine vlue £3 5s Gd at Hawera.

It was stated that Fairweather came to the Dominion in December, 1924, with a draft of public schoolboys and was placed with a farmer at Apiti, but would not get out of bed and would not work. The Immigration Department found him other positions. He appeared before the Court at Wanganui in December, 1926, and was sentenced to two months for conversion of a car and was convicted and discharged for vagrancy. Later he camo to Wellington and was allowed to sleep in a furnished house. A serious robbery was committed in tho house, and Fairweather stowed away to Sydney, whero he made the acquaintance of Lawson. Botli travelled from Sydney to Melbourne, where they were arrested on a charge of vagrancy. That charge was withdrawn, hut in October, 1927, at Albury they were fined £3O, in default four months, and £ls, on two charges of converting cars to their own use.

On March 13 of this year they were sentenced to six months at Albury for breaking and entering. They were discharged from Goulbimi gaol this month and, stowing away on a steamer, arrived at Auckland last week. The thefts in the present charges were all made in connection with a trip in the converted car from To Kuiti to Wellington. The magistrate, Nil- E. Page, remarked that the police report was very unfavourable. They had evidently set out to live dishonestly. Sentence of six months’ hard labour was imposed on each.