FRENCH EXPLORER’S WEEK IN GAOL

Northern Advocate, 11 July 1936, Page 6

FRENCH EXPLORER’S WEEK IN GAOL

[Special to “Northern Advocate ”o AUCKLAND, This Day.

When he eventually * writes his book on his travels, Louis Joseph Bouvier, aged 31, the French explorer who was arrested in Queen Street last Friday week, will possibly devote a chapter ex* so to his incarceration in the Auckland Prison, and his appearances in the Police Court on a charge of vagrancy.

Bouvier, a well-dressed man of fairly considerable avoirdupois, appeared before Mr W. R. McKean last Saturday morning in the Police Court, charged with being an idle and disorderly person with insufficient means of support.

Sub-Inspector Fox then stated- that Bouvier had approached a constable, and confided that he had only 1/ and nowhere to go. He also said he had started out from France on a walking tour of the world in 1929. When he whispered something to the constable about J *hrowing himself in the harbour he was promptly arrested. It transpired that Bouvier had deposited £lO with the Collector of Customs when he obtained a temporary permit to land in, New Zealand. This had since- expired and Bouvier could not obtain a refund of this fund until he was ready to depart from New Zealand. It was suggested by the police last Saturday that Bouvier had been living upon charity, that he had been living in a tent at Kohimarama without permission, and that, he was not at all anxious to work. With the idea of ascertaining whether anything could be done for Bouvier, the magistrate remanded the Frenchman until today. This morning, after having spent the week in prison oh remand, Bouvier made his second appearance before Mr McKean. Mr McKean; I will be very glad if I can assist him to leave the country. The French Consul will not help him. I don’t want to keep him in gaol, but he will not work and he must not beg for money. If he is willing, I will allow him to go to the Salvation Army home for a week until some word is j received from the Customs authori-) ties.” Bouvier agreeing to stay with the Salvation Army, the magistrate re-! rnanded him for another week. '