PRISON FOR SHOWMAN

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 23058, 8 June 1938, Page 15

PRISON FOR SHOWMAN

THEFT FROM FARMHAND [from oub own correspondent] HAMILTON, Tuesday Before Mr. S. L. Paterson, S.M., in the Hamilton Police Court to-day, Herbert Allan Bowie, aged 29, showman, pleaded not guilty to a charge of stealing 3s jSd from Douglas Norman Brown. He was also charged with being an idle and disorderly person. Douglas Norman Brown, farmhand, Taupiri, gave evidence that following a conversation with accused, who was a stranger to him, at the Waikato Show, accused asked witness to hand over all the money he had and he (accused) promised to give him £5. Witness gave him 3s 6d. Accused then started to walk away, but witness stopped him. Ho then returned 3s. Constable A. Hinton said that accused was warned to leave the show several times. When asked for an explanation concerning Brown's complaint, he would say nothing. He was not intoxicated. Accused had £4 4s in his pockets, and £ll 7s in his socks. Mr. N. S. Johnson, for accused, described the incident as the foolish act of a drunken man. Accused said he had no recollection of the incident. He thought it was a case of mistaken identity. .. j___» I Accused was sentenced to 14 d imprisonment on the first cha c • I Becond charge was dismissed. I