AN UNUSUAL CASE

New Zealand Times, Volume XLVI, Issue 10560, 10 April 1920, Page 7

AN UNUSUAL CASE

TROUBLE ABOUT A PERMIT ALLEGED MISUSE OP OFFICIAL ' DOCUMENT. A prosecution possessing interesting features who brought before Mr P.L. Rollings, S.M., jit the Police Court yesterdaj', when the authorities established a precedent by proceeding against John L. McPhee for failing to return to the Internal Affairs Department a permit aumousing Jinn to leave i\eiv Zealand. A plea of not guilty was entered.

xu ou tuning the case, Sub-luspeclor Emerson said tuat, ou Aovemuer iVtn mot, tne accused ootaiueu .a penult to proceed to Canada oy tuo steamship idasura, whim was due to leave Auckland for Vancouver ou tuo loliowuig day. However, Ue had a orotUor, Guoort J. -U of nee, a married man with a lamily, and as tuo wire of tile latter thougnt it possible that he intended to desert her sho took steps to prevent uim from outuinmg a permit. Uiuortunatoly, thet» were of no avail, for on iSovcmuer 'J'2nd, Gilbert J. AfcPheo—travelling under tffe name of the accused—was a passenger by the Makura, the departure of whicu had been postponed. As the two brothers had resided together on the mglit of November .IVth, it was believed that tho defendant was a party to the deception. When the latter was first interrogated about the he stated that he had lost his permit, but later asserted that he had it in bis bag on the night his brother lived with Him, and that if the latter had obtained tho possession it was without his know, ledge. Giving evidence, the accused said he did not know that ho was required to return tho permit, and as the subinspector proceeded to cross-examine him, ho surprised the court by stating that he had the document, which ho had found in his bag. Challenged to show it, McPhee was an good as his word, and produced it, but this did not 'get him out of trouble, because the prosecuting officer pointed out that the regulations required that if it permit were not used within one month from tho date on which it was to take effect, it should he returned bo the Department of Internal Affairs.

The magistrate fined the accused £3 and costs.