HOW JACK TAR IS TREATED.

NZ Truth, Issue 282, 19 November 1910, Page 7

HOW JACK TAR IS TREATED.

An Unwarrantable Arrest.

Sick Sailor's Scandalous Treatment.

About the -beginning of last week a stoker on H.M.S. Pioneer named Michael Heavey was discharged from the Wellington hospital, where he had gone to have an injured finger attended to. He took ship to Lyttelton, but on the voyage he .

FELL DOWN" A COMPANION-WAY and further injured his finger. Despite this he continued his journey by train, designing to travel thorough to Bluff T-fco join his ship, which was due to leave on a trrptto the Sounds. At- Oainaru,; however, the finger gave : Michael miuoh pain, and he got oft for the purpose of consulting a doctor. He was given an order for the hospital, and while making arrangements to enter the institution he waa arrested for desertion at the request of the commander of the Pion-> eer. As soon, as Heavey was ordered to the hospital (for the purpose at having the finger amputated) he askr ed the doctor to telegraph to the commander stating the facts of the case, bub the 'doctor merely wrote a note, which didn't reach the com-, mander before he had issued

THE ORDER FOR THE ARREST, Heavey was arrested and brought on to Dunedm, where he appeared last! Saturday morning before Magistrate Widdowson on a charge of having- deserted from the Pioneer at Wellington on November y. •

Sub-Inspector Phair said Heavey bad had to be sent to the 'hospital the previous evening and would have* to go again that morning, as there was a danger of him losiirig hjs finger altogether if it wasn''t attended to. The S.M. said it seemed to be a very hard ease. The commander couldn't know the facts of the case, or he wouldn't act as he had done.

The case was held over, pending a report from the hospital as to the ability of Heavey to travel.

Heavey came before Magistrate Bartholomew on Monday morning, when the Sub-Inspector asked for a remand for a week. Thf3 S.M. said that if the police were not prepared to proceed HE WOULD DISMISS THE INFORMATION. The prisoner had left Bluff for tho founds, and it seemed sufficient if Heavey was called on to report himj.self daily to the police. If found necessary, another information could be laid. The information was thereupon dismissed, Mr Gumming, Patients and Prisoners' Aid Society, promising to provide Heavey with board until his j case is finally disposed of.