DREAM DOPE

NZ Truth, Issue 852, 18 March 1922, Page 5

DREAM DOPE

Stolen From Victoria College SOLD TO CHINAMEN BY COLLEGE . ASSISTANTS. College Equipped with a Large . Quantify of the Deadly .Drug.

The big point that will hit the pub-g. lie m the opium-stealing case heard before the Magistrate's Court at.Wellington on .Wednesday afternoon, is why the Victoria College, authorities have had such a huge quantity of opium lying about the college -laboratories. It was stated during the course of the evidence that the college was m possession of half a hundredweight of the noxious dream dope. Of course, a small, amount is necessary for the chemical laboratory, but such a large quantity of the drug lying within easy reach of the students 'is surely courting trouble. Apart altogether from the punishment, if any, inflicted on the guilty persons concerned m the theft, this, aspect of the case, to "Truth's" mind, demands- careful investigation.- If it is necessary to have hundreds of tins of opium m the college laboratory, then the quantities of the deadly drug m stock should) be carefully guarded. The fictitious value given to opium through the heavy duties placed on the article and the mania of our Chinese residents to become possessed of "the same at all costs, makes the drug

ALMOST MORE PRECIOUS THAN

GOLD,

.These facts werie tellingly demonstrated during the hearing of evidence when the theft cases came before Messrs. J. W, Ellison and H. B. Bridge, J.'sP-, this week. Charles Aloysius Wilkinson, a laboratory assistant at the college, was. charged! with stealing £50 worth of opium, and another youth, Harold Fairchild' Pobar, charged with "receiving." Mr. W, E. Leicester represented the accused.

An important question m the case, and one m which counsel for the accused was at once at variance with the Bench, was as to the real value of the opium stolen. Mr. Leicester contended that as the market value of the opium was 10s per pound, the fact that eight pounds' worth of the stuff was stolen reduced the value of the drug from £50 to £4, and, therefore, accused were entitled.to be' dealt with summarily. • Chief 'Tec. Kemp contended that the real value of the opium was £50— what accused had secured for it. The Bench was inclined to side with the police. ™..„. The first witness, Frederick William Lawrence, acting chief clerk of the Customs, said that on June 15, 1915, three "cases of dope were sent to the college and six days later 114 tins more were sent on to the same destination. It was sent, on to Professor Easterfield to extract alkaloids for use m military hospitals and hospital ships. ' . A studious-looking gentleman, named Phillip" W. Robertson, said he juggled with germs and drugs as Professor of Chemistry at the college, taking the job over from Professor Easterfield m 1920, whei* the latter handed over to him the opium then left oyer. Accused Wilkinson, as laboratory assistant, had .

- ACCESS TO' THE STORE j % where the dope was usually kept. •Tec Nuttall said he. ; interviewed WHlkinson. on i March 9, when accused . denied, having stolen any opium, He later admitted tlie- theft. Wilkinson then made a statement m which he said, that some of the students. had remarked that there was a lot of money going to waste m the laboratory. Wilkinson decided to -take the tip and handed over the dope he took to Pobar, who got into touch with the only too-eager Chinamen. They shared the proceeds. Witness took charge of the opium after- accused were arrested. The opium amounted to

ABOUT HALE A HUNDREDWEIGHT.

Wilkinson pleaded guilty and was sent on to the Supreme Court for sentence. , vThe case - against * Pobar followed, accused, also pleading guilty. Wilkinson <gave evidence against his confederate, saying that he hand T ed over the opium to Pobar, who sold it. Witness received £30 as his share of the, theft.

'Tec. Nuttall said that Pobar .in his statement, told how he bad carried out his sales with the opium-hungry Chinamen. Altogether he thought he. had sold about £.50 worth of the stuff. On being asked where he got the opium from, Wilkinson "had told him there were others' m it, % and that he (Wilkinson) had paid two shillings a tin for the drug. ' '

This concluded the evidence, and Pobar was'--also sent for sentence to the Supreme Court. Both accused were granted bail m the sum of £50. The opium was: discovered as the result of a raid carried out by the police on Chinese- premises m the city. , '