BANK SIGN BROKEN

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXI, Issue 21937, 22 October 1934, Page 11

BANK SIGN BROKEN

EARLY MORNING INCIDENT POLICE COURT SEQUEL "DOUGLAS CREDIT BELIEVER" [BY TELEGRAPH —OWN CORRESPONDENT] DUNEDIN, Sunday Declaring that he was a believer in Douglas Social Credit and that he was opposed to the banks, a man was apprehended by the police yesterday morning trying to prise the plate off the door of the National Bank of New Zealand. A sequel was the appearance in the Police Court of James Robert Marshall, charged with drunkenness, with wilfully breaking a glass sign valued at 10s, the property of the National Bank, and with breaking an electriclight bulb, valued at Is 3d, the property of the Government. Accused pleaded not guilty to the first two charges and guilty to the remaining charge. Senior-Sergeant McLean said accused said he was a Bolshevik. At 2.50 that morning he smashed the sign outside the National Bank. His explanation was that he was a Douglas Credit believer and did not believe in the banks. He smashed the bulb in the police cells. After hearing the evidence of two constables the magistrate said to accused: "Do you still deny that you were drunk?" Accused: I think I must have been under the influence of liquor all right. Accused was convicted on all charges, the magistrate stating that if the man had not been drunk he would have taken the act of damage as a malicious one, but it was more the mad-brained action of a man under the influence of liquor. On the charge of drunkenness accused was fined 12s 6d, in default 24 hours' imprisonment. On the charge of breaking the glass sign he was fined £2 and ordered to make good the damage, in default 14 days' imprisonment, and on the remaining charge he was convicted and ordered to make good the damage.