TROUBLE OVER BLANKETS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVI, Issue 17242, 19 August 1919, Page 8

TROUBLE OVER BLANKETS.

m ■ I THE WANGANUI INCIDENT. i FURTHER FINES TOTAL £170. ' I [BY TELEGRAPH.OWN COBKESPOXDEKT.] I WANGANUI. Monday. The prosecution of a number of WangaJ nui residents for the illicit possession of j soldiers' blanket*, stolen from the Armagh, while that vessel was in the roadstead, has caused quite a stir in the community a*d an additional £170 was taken, in fines today. In one case the accused, who was subsequently fined £40, explained how he came 1 into possession of the blankets. He said . he went out to the Armagh mainly with ! I the object of renewing old acquaintances, j and he was given a pair of blankets. On > the Tuesday, he went to the Armagh to , work her, and met a man on the boat {who offered to sell him 250 socks second--1 hand, also some empty bottles. He also I asked the defendant a price for some | blankets, and the defendant took one as a (sample. Later on the defendant heard i there was trouble brewing about the •: blanket, so he put it in the river. His Worship asked the defendant , whether he considered he was doing right in bringing the blankets ashore in a ; travelling trunk, and then afterwards con- ; j femng with a second-hand dealer as to ; the price. The latter said he would give I7s 6d or 8s % pair. There seemed to he ! some discussion as to how many the dej fendant could get, and he said about 20 lor 21 pair's. "Can yon tell me you were doing the right thing in proposing to get »J the blankets and selling them at those j prices asked the Court. j The defendant said ho ; ;pJrti3 to get a. ! clearance from the man. on the ship for them. -if ' J I