CARGO-PILFERING

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXVII, Issue 8362, 24 February 1913, Page 4

CARGO-PILFERING

A.B. AND LABOURER FOUND GUILTY. Press Association. AUCKLAND, February 23. Before Mr Justice Edwards on Sat-' urday Harry Ferguson Clark and Frederick Hyder were charged with stealing five dozen pairs of' socks, either from the hold of tho Mokoia or from the wharf at Auckland on November 21st. Hyder was an A.B. member of tho Mokoia’s crew, and was in charge of No. 3 hold, with a special commission to prevent pilfering, and. Clark was a casual labourer employed by the Union Co. to work cargo at No. 3 hold. The Crown Prosecutor explained that the goods stolen were part of a consignment to Arch. Clark and Sons, of Auckland, transhipped ex tho Rotorua at Wellington, and brought on to Auckland by the Mokoia. In statements made separately to the police, Hyder had said that Clark had broken into the case, and that he himself had received goods, while Clark had said that ho found the case open, took the socks and gave some to the other man. Hyder’s statement contained an assertion to tho effect that beer had been brought on board by. Clark and consumed by prisoners and others, and further that a case of beer had been broached by Clark and tho contents of some of the bottles poured into the can and afterwards consumed. Constable Gourlay said that he went to arrest Clark, Prisoner said that ho did not know why he was the only one arrested for pillaging cargo on the occasion under notice, but he did not want to give his mates away. In a statement Clark had said that he was under the influence of liquor, and that he had taken the goods. Neither of the prisoners gave evidence. Hyder said that No. 3 hold was full pf Napier and Gisborne cargo, and that no Auckland cargo was taken in at Wellington at all. The jury returned a verdict of guilty. A FURTHER CHARGE. Clark and Hyder were further charged with theft of thirteen pint bottles of beer from the cargo of the Mokoia, and of a book taken from a trunk in tho vessel’s cargo. The jury returned a verdict of guilty. PRISONERS SENTENCED. In passing sentence his Honor referred to Clark’s lengthy and discreditable record of convictions for theft (on one occasion), resisting the police, drunkenness, disorderly conduct, and obscene language. “This sort of thing,” said his Honor, referring to pillaging, “has got to be put down.” He further remarked that defalcations of this kind were passed on by shipping companies to honest people, and in these hard times honest people could not afford to keep men like Clark idle. Prisoner was sentenced to two years’ imprisonment with hard labour on each charge, the sentences to be concurrent. Hyder, who had previously borne a good character, was sentenced to eighteen months’ imprisonment with bard labour. Tho judge said it waS to bo feared that there were dozens of cases of pilfering undetected for every on© that was sheeted home.