POLICE COURT NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LII, Issue 15915, 12 May 1915, Page 5

POLICE COURT NEWS.

WASTE FOOD FROM SHIPS.

UNUSUAL CHARGE OF THEFT

Tin-: question of wfiether seamen are entitled to dispose of surplus food in any way they please occupied the attention of Mr. F. V. Frazer, S.M., for some lime in the Police Court yesterday. I lie case was a curious one, being one of alleged theft by a native of Jamaica named Clement Myers. He pleaded not guilty to a charge of having stolen two bottle* of m'ckles and about lib of butter, of the total value of 2s 3d. There was •'in alternative charge of receiving the goods knowing them to have been stolen. 'In this charge also he pleaded not guilty. Mr. J. 11. Lundon appeared for the accused.

Outlining the case for the prosecution, the chief detective said that Myers had been intercepted as he was leaving the steamer Victoria. Detective Gourley asked the man what he had in the bag he was carrying, the reply being, "scraps from the boat which had been | given him." The accused had bis bag and pockets searched, two new aud unopened bottles of pickles being found at the bottom of the former beneath scraps of all kinds of food and about lib of apparently fresh butter being found in one of his pockets. The accused, continued the chief detective, had a fowl run at Grey Lynn with about 100 birds, and was comfortably off. He had made a practice of going round various boats and carting away scraps for his fowls— a thing he had no right to do. The chief steward of the Victoria said that the scraps and refuse were usuallyput into a cask to be taken away, but the accused was not authorised to take them. The crew were supplied'with practically as much as they required in the way of stores, but if, there happened to be any bottles of pickles or anything else over it belonged to the ship and not to the individual members of the crew.

Detective Courley gave evidence as to tho arrest, and said that the accused congratulated him on his smart capture. For the defence, John McKinnon, a seaman, was called. In his 30 years' experience of the sea, he said, it had always been the custom for sailors to do what they liked with surplus food. When the aroused came into the fo'castle they had just finished breakfast. He was given the remaining scraps for his fowls, and all present agreed that he might have an unused bottle of pickles. The second bottle of pickles belonged to witness, he having bought it at Dunedin whilst under the influence of liquor. Witness explained that he personally did not eat pickles, "as the acetic acid did not harmonise with the gastric jufees of his intestines." Witness was proceeding to quote Biblical authority about the eternal damnation of ships' cooks when the magistrate told him to "cut out theological arguments" and to confine his evidence to pickles.

Further e\idence was called to show that the accused collected more scraps from the firemen's quarters, and also the pound of butter. The butter had had some tea spilt over it and had been thrown away with fish bones, hut the accused had cleansed it and placed it in his pocket. His Worship said that it seemed to bo a recognised nautical law that seamen might dispose of surplus food as they thought fit. in some cases it even being bought back again by the steward. But when the crew were not on a fixed allowance and were supplied with anything required, any surplus rightly belonged to the ship. His Worship added that it was certainly wasteful to throw the butter away at its present high price. "As regards the pickles," continued His Worship, " it is certainly undesirable that anvone should bo allowed to prowl over ships, although -collecting scraps in itself may be all right. Permission, anyhow, should be obtained first from one of the ship's officers." The hulk of tho evidence, His Worship added, showed that the men thought they might dispose of their pickle*, and the accused would be given the benefit of any doubt that there might be about McKinnon's story about his pickles. I Both charges were, therefore, dismissed. j

ALLEGED CASE OF THEFT. A remand to appear at Rotorua in a week's time was planted in the case of Ernest Pearson, who is alleged to have failed to account for the sum of 26s belonging to Robert Buchanan, Mr. Allan Moody asked to have the accused liberated on his own recognisances. There was a complete answer to the charge, said counsel, the accused, a coach-driver, having received 26s for a round trip at Rotorua. This money would have been handed over, but the accused bad been sent to Auckland on business. The chief detective having remarked that for all he knew this might be only one of many charges. His 'Worship said that counsel's explanation was only one sido of the story. There would have to bo bail in the slim of £50, with one surety of a similar amount or two of £25 each.

INTEMPERANCE. Amongst those charged with drunkenness were three first offenders, each of whom was fined ss. Walter Humby and Noel Scott, two second offenders, were fined 10s. Convicted of his third offence within the hist six months, George Scott was fined £1, and was also. prohibited. A first offender was remanded for a week's medical observation, as he had given himself up to the police in order to obtain protection from a phantom swarm of insects which he thought was following him. Convicted of drunkenness and of a breach of his prohibition order, Alexander Jamas McDonald was allowed to go without penalty, as he had been in custody since Saturday, Similar charges against James Wilson resulted in the imposition of a £1 fine, Wilson having been before the Court four times recently, and having been previously given a warning. A voting man named Francis Hapan was fined £1 and 7s costs for entering a hotel during the currency of his prohibition order. He was warned that his next appearance would inevitably mean a sojourn at Roto Roa,

MISCELLANEOUS CASES. "This is apparently a case of a foreigner who did not understand our ways, and, having too much liquor on board, resentin? a constable's interference," remarked His Worship in reference to John Vardachio, who did not appear to answer a charge of having been disorderly while drunk in Queen Street. A fine of 10s was imposed. Joseph Cunliffe was fined the same amount for being disorderly while drunk in Karanjahape Road, the defendant's shouts and gesticulations resulting in his arrest. Arties Jones, aged 34. admitted a charge of soliciting in Hobson Street, and also a charee of/vagrancy. His Worship remarked that it seemed a pity that the woman, who had kept clear of the Court for five or six rears, should have started her old life again. On the charge of soliciting, being her second offence in this respect this vear, she would be sent to gaol for a month. The magistrate also issued a prohibition order against the woman, drink being stated to be largely the cause of lu-r trouble, and ordered her to come up for sentence when called upon on the charge of vagrancy. She was warned that, should there be ocens-on to sentence her. there was a possibility of a term of 12 months' hard labour.

CAN'T RE TOO CAREFUL.

Old people, and those who have weak lungs, cannot be too careful in guarding against pneumonia. It results from a cold or from an attack of influenza, but can be prevented if Chamberlain's Cough Remedy is used at the first symptoms of either. Many who have had every reason to fear pneumonia have warded it off .by the prompt usd of Chamberlain's Cough