RIOTOUS ROTO-ROAITES

NZ Truth, Issue 510, 27 March 1915, Page 4

RIOTOUS ROTO-ROAITES

Duck Away from the Drinkless Isle A Visit to tho Fair at Pakatoa. They did row, row, row, they came the double, And for oars, oars, oars, they had two Bhovels; From the Island they did go, The Army did not know, They told the Magistrate next day they were out just for a blow; But he said "no, no, no, don't think I'm quite ao slow, To Mt. Eden you must go," So they went with bowed head, Never heard all he said. And then crjed "oh! oh! oh!" Two fairly young men, Robert Phair and Daniel Hobley, wer,e brought before Mr. E. C/ Cutten, S.M., at the Auckland Magistrate's Court on Monday and charged with escaping from Roto-roa Island on Sunday evening. Roto-roa Island, it may be mentioned, is the dumping ground for habitual drunks and the king of the Island, not the boozers, is A "SALV'ARMY OSSIPER." Both men denied trying to scale from the Island, m fact, they almost went so far as to say "they were m love with tho place. William Hayes, a "Salv'army osslfcr" and manager of Boozers' Island, said both accused wero sent to the "olland" by order of tho "Coort." William said tho boisterous weather had capsized one of the bouts and on Sunday evening tho two men, who had been looking for a chance of escape, righted tho boat, secured two long handle shovels and pulled across to I'alcntoa Island. Tho matron rang up witness, who went across and gathered them m again. It would bo somewhere between eight and nine o'clock when they qualified for tho pair-oar race with a dinghy and Ion? handle shovels. ' Phair said that It was about halfpast seven on Sunday night when ho suggested to Henley they should bo for a cruise. Style did not count and they wero not so particular as Barry or Arnst, so got a pair of shovels to act as oars. They pulled about for an hour and a-half and then' landed at Pakatoa. They had no Intention of escaping. Sonlor-sergeant Rutledge: Have you ever seen any of the others going out FOR A CRUISE at night with shovels?— No. Wero you not before tho Court at Napier ?-r Yes. And didn't the Chief Justice comment on the untruthfulness of your evidence? — Yes. Hebley built up Phalr's story and maintained they had no intention of trying to duck from such a beautiful Isle. Mr. Cutten: You will each be convicted and sentenced to a month at Mt. Edon. You will go back to the Island afterwards.