MAN WHO SAILED THE TASMAN

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume 77, 29 April 1942, Page 5

MAN WHO SAILED THE TASMAN

TO RETURN TO NEW ZEALAND Hobart, April 28 ! The New Zealander Humphreys s bid lor freedom ended in the Supreme Court 10-dav when Chief Justice Morris dismissed his appeal against the magistrate's extradition order. Mr H. Baker pleaded for Humphreys's release and said his exploit of sailing a yacht single-handed across | the Tasman stamped him as a man of j courage, endurance and ability. His parents in England had offered to make full restitution of any loss. They had even offered to pay his passage back to England to enable him to enlist .n 1 tiie Auxiliary Naval Force. Moreover. : Humphreys was prepared to serve iti j any of the fighting forces in Australia. Mr Baker argued that the New- Zealand sentence of two years in the Borstal institution for theft of a lumj ber-jacket valued at 40s, was savage j and indefensible. The Chief Justice, dismissing the j appeal, recalled the previous convicI tions against accused in New Zealand i covering the theft of a yacht \alued jut £250 and an outboard motor-boat, land also his previous escape from custody. Humphreys will be escorted back to New Zealand by Detective W. H. Crom- ' well, who has been in Hobart for sev- , eral weeks, awaiting the decision of the local courts.—P.A.