MADE NUISANCES OF THEMSELVES

Manawatu Times, Volume LIV, Issue 6804, 7 January 1929, Page 9

MADE NUISANCES OF THEMSELVES

Police Pick Up Three Idlers TWO SENT TO GAOLONE GETS A CHANCE When a taxi drew up at the Palmerston North Police station on Friday morning and discharged its passengers consisting of a constable and three “down and outs,” passers-by whispered that somctMng had been doing. As a matter of faet the constable had cleared Main Street of three men who had been making a nuisance of themselves for the best part of a fortnight. They were Peter McDonald, aged 67, Albert Edward Whitcombe, alias Whittaker, aged 48, and Tiros. Pat. Drury, alias Ryan,-alias Dwyer, alias McGuire, alias Wilson, alias Bradley, aged 58. All were described as labourers with no fixed abode and the trio between them possessed the handsome amount of twopence. When they made their appearance before Messrs. R. Edwards and J. Coombe, Js. P., at the Court on Saturday morning- charged with being idle and disorderly, each man pleaded not guilty, but the Police were ready with plenty of evidence. Must Get Out of Town Constable Colburn told the Court that McDonald was a hard man to move when he got on the booze. He had been in Palmerston North for about 14 days except for one day when he was supposed to have gone to Feilding. He came back with 2s 6d in his pocket and since had been hanging round in the company of convicted thieves taking no notice of the advice given him to move along. Accused had no money when arrested.

McDonald: I own £IOO worth of property and have been working in the district for years. I have never had such a charge in front of me before. Detective Barling stated that he and Constable Goodwin had paid a midnight visit to the Gun Club shed over the Fitzherbert Bridge and had found McDonald asleep there. Later he was seen around town sponginrr on people. Accused: I had 15s on me at the time and was on my way to Linton for work. I went into the shed to get shelter from the rain. Next day I came back to Palmerston North. McDonald entered the witness box to assure the Bench that he had a horse, cart, and harness which was Ms means of support. The Bench: Where is the horse? Accused: At Mangore. The Bench: What have you been doing with it? Accused: Carting flax. “For whom?” asked Ms Worship. McDonald: Myself. I came to Palmerston North for the holidays. The Bench: Y'our company has not been too good. Accused: I don’t know anything about my company. The Bench inquired fro mthe Senior Sergeant whether a warning would do McDonald any good, the Senior Sergeant replying that it might drive the man out of town, but so far he had not taken the advice of the Police to leave. The Bench (addressing accused): Y'ou will bo given one more chance. McDonald: Thank you. The Bench: Y’ou must leave town immediately and no beg pardon about it. If you don’t, you won’t get another chance to walk about the country for some time. No Excuse—One Month. When Whitcombe entered the dock, Constable Colburn stated that accused had been hanging round town the last 14 days and when questioned said that he had a lot of money. Later on he was seen in the company of a convicted tMef and was making a nuisance of himself. Whiteombo had absolutely refused to leave the town. Accused: I still have money. The Senior Sergt.: All the money he’s got is 2d. Sergeant Power, in evidence, said accused had been making a nuisance of himself in hotels. - He was hanging round the bars cadging all day long and barging in wherever he thought he might get a free beer. He had promised to leave the town but had not done so. When arrested he was in a filthy and half-drunken condition. Accused: What proof have you that I was cadging? Witness. My own observations. Accused: I have been working for the P.W.D. at Kaitoke.. Sergt. Power: It is a pity you did not stay there.. How often have you been kicked out of hotels? Accused: I don’t remember any times. Witness: Perhaps ymu were too drunk to know me. Constable Evans said that accused had a habit of holding up verandah posts and had ignored a warning to get ou.t of town. Detective Barling .gave similar evidence.

Accused asserted that he had property in Wanganui. “There is no vagrant about ine. lam a hard working man,” he added as he entered the rrttness box to state on oath that he had wages to collect at Kaitoke. Senior Sergt. Whitohousc: Why did you not go back to Kaitoke when the Police told you? Accused: I had been to Wanganui. In answer to the Senior Sergeant accused admitted that he had been convicted before of vagrancy, three times of theft, twice of being on a racecourse when he should not have been, and had been fined for wilful damage. “There is no possible excuse for you,” commented the Bench when convicting and sontcnci|ig accused to ono month's hard labour. 4 * To Keep Him Company. When Drury was charged Constable Colburn stated that accused had boon making a nuisance of himself. On the night of January 2 he had been

ejected from an hotel but later in the evening was found occupying one . of the beds. He was again turned out. Next day witness warned him to leave town. Accused had the bad habit of using obscene language and had had no money for fcho last five or six days. He and Whitcombe had been keeping company. Accused: Didn’t you tell me I was alright, but it was my company* Witness: That was during the first few days. Sergeant Power said he had also given accused a warning. Constable Turvcv, who a-pproached accused in the stwot early on Christmas morning, said lie had given ifim 24 hours to leave the town. On a subsequent morning accused was seen with another man drinking from a bottle containing methylated spirits. Accused denied that he had touched the methylated spirits. Detective Barling stated that accused was fairly respectable when he first came to Palmerston North, but had been drifting since. Warning had rolled like water off a duck’s back. Accused was given the opportunity to make a statement on oath, but said he was quite satisfied as things were. Senior Sergeant Whitohousc commented that accused couldn’t face his list, which was handed to the Bench to peruse. “This being idle and disorderly is a habit of yours,” remarked the senior Justice, ‘and under the circumstances we will send you down for a month’s hard labour.”