HARD LABOUR

Manawatu Standard, Volume LX, Issue 212, 6 August 1940, Page 4

HARD LABOUR

CHARGE AGAINST WATERSIDER. Per Press Association. WELLINGTON, Aug. 5. The explanation of William Henry Morgan, a watersider and seaman, as to how ho came into the possession of bottles of whisky alleged by the police to have formed part of the cargo of an overseas shij) discharging at Wellington recently was not accepted by Mr J. L. Stout, S.M., when Morgan appeared and pleaded not guilty to a charge of theft. He was sentenced to two months’ hard labour. Senior-Detective Doyle said a vessel which arrived in Wellington had on board 150 cases of whisky consigned to Dunedin, and on reaching Dunedin it was found that one case was missing. In Wellington, accused was working in the vicinity of the hold where the whisky >vas stored until about 7.30 p.m., and about five minutes later he was picked up unconscious near the wharf gates, where he had been knocked down bv a car. The police found in his possession two bottles of whisky of a certain brand and another bottle of similar whisky which had been smashed.'

When interviewed by the police in hospital. Morgan made no reference to the third bottle, but said he had purchased two bottles of whisky at an hotel.