A BRAINLESS BOOBY.

NZ Truth, Issue 150, 2 May 1908, Page 5

A BRAINLESS BOOBY.

CAMERON'S CHASE FOR A .. CASE.

Nabs Niland for Nailing a Bird.

After Arrest Admit He is Innocent.

Some • people are born blunderers, some people' achieve blunders, and some ueople have blunders thrust upon them. Also the eagerness of youthful constables to obtain promotion m. five minutes is praiseworthy from the point of view of mere zeal, but darned uncomfortable for the victims of mistaken enthusiasm. These remarks are prompted by the case, of William Niland, who was arrested m Ghristchurch on the erroneous supposition that he was a thief, by Acting-Tec. Cameron, who came from Wellington recently to teach the local sleuths something kncmledgable, m the way of crime detection. To date Cameron hadn't had a chance to display his cleverness, and his active brain was chafing at the enforced inactivity, when William Niland, gentleman, was. seen leaving an j auction room, proudly displaying a caged canary. It came to^the: ears of Cameron that Niland had no right to the songster, and without making adequate inquiry he arrested the astounded bird-fancier and gaoled him for the night without bail. It appears that ; a lady with Mr Niland took, a fancy to the bird, when "the discovery was made that it had been knocked down to a one-armed personage named Ted Miles for 3s— a pretty cheap bird. Niland induced Miles to part with the canary for ss, and departed with it as stated. The auctioneer (who holds things up and does not wield the hammer) understood that another person named Miles, employed by the firm, had bought the bird, and spoke to Cameron about it, and

CAMERON WENT FOR AN ARREST like a bull at a gate. Subsequently, however, the map who^knocks things down recollected selling the canary to the onearmed personage, but this information came too late •to save Niland from the gross indignity of the police cell. The victim applied for bail, but m the sygggge*^ of the Chief Detective, nobody.^,,~ premises would undertake tlms^" ity of letting him out, alt?- v ■ - l * ■ "■ - • tice of the >eacc_ mist*-" instantly. Nil.-pp^r into a £?n_j£\ when hs«sP^ '

his character, from a vile imputation."* The police then discovered their' bloomer and withdrew the charge. . Chief Detective Chrystall explained to the Bench that the charge had been laid on imperfect information, but Magistrate Bishop was dissatisfied with the statement and spoke: with severity about the conduct of an: of? : ficer who had. effected an arrest without' making adequate inquiry' to justify such a course. In the opinion of his Worship, a police officer should make a thorough investigation of the facts before he exercised the very wide powers vested m him. Niland, it might be mentioned, has no remedy, against k the police, a. . fact ; which gives point to the Magistrate's remaiksr His treatment by the police also calls foe investigation. In addition to . ' '•' ?; THE REFUSAL- OF BAIL, the arresting detective would not take a statement m proof of innocence made by the victim, remarking that it would J be', of no use to the prosecution. Niland had : to drill into the officer's brain that it J would be of some, use to the accused, as the Magistrate might next* day *ask, "Why didn't you make this expfennttion..* to the police last night ?" The^ju-res ted person was then permitted to write a statement, which caused the oiolice to make inquiries that led to the unfortunate, man's discharge. Niland's room m the 'Wellington Hotel was entered , m his absence, and the whole of his effects . scrutinised and mauled about and- the police also dipped into his private correspondence. A happening of this sort i& simply intolerable and a disgrace to tfca force that cries out to the authorities for investigation. This paper doesn't know what remedy Niland has against the auctioneer, who was largely responsible for the blunder, but the . tutute '*ili: probably produce information c« Ihe tu> Lject- / .