SHEIKS WHO SHRIEKED IN BORROWED PLUMES

NZ Truth, Issue 1079, 29 July 1926, Page 7

SHE I KS WHO SH RIEKED IN BORROWED PLUMES

Pathetic Prison Plight of Peter, Pampered Pet 4 Petting Parties

(From "Truth's*/ South Auckland Representative.)^ ijinmimiiiiiiiiiininiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiHiiiiltniiiinnimiimiiMin I DETER GILLIES HANSEN is a rather flash sortjof youth. § 1 Of the no-hat brigade and affecting, the modern "brush- , § I back," he is well known about the streets and- parks of | | Hamilton and was regarded as having not a,f ew tickets on | I himself." ..'■\ .• ■ . . .-0.- - .' :,.' ■'■'■■'"" ■■■■■■■ ..■■••;;.. =■§

fiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiJiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiKiiiiiiniiiii'iiiiiiiiiiiiii SOMETHING of a favorite with, the girls, his somewhat athletic figure was familiar in the dance-halls, while many evenings of recent months would find him seated at the wheel of a car on the high roadto Morr,insyi|le, usually accompanied by another youth named Dobson. 1 , . • .^ —- OUNG HANSEN ticked up butter-fat returns at the -Jf. . head office of the 'New fflj/L. Zealand Co - operative Company, and when he /froCS struck up an acquaintance ■— YnwW. with a certain young lady ... in Morrinsville he made a practice ®of visiting her of ' an evening in one •of t the company's numerous cars; -..-,' > '*■''• ;' When none of these happened to be available, there were always plenty more 'standing about- the streets to choose from, but Hansen seemed to evince a particular fancy for Dodges, although he had no scruples as to rnake where the supply of unattended vehicles was not great.. .Hamilton had bean fairly free ; '■from. ear thefts ; until late In March last, when an epidemic of this class of offence suddenly broke out and remained virulent until July. Invariably, the cars were found abandoned in different parts of the town next day; in some cases much the worse for their outing. • w On one occasion a- car borrowed in this way from Hamilton went wrong, at Morrinsville, where a tin of benzine was stolen frorii another car. As the engine still refused to budge, the stolen car was abandoned on the" streets of Morrins-,. ville, and another two-seater was taken in its place- and later left in a Hamilton thoroughfare. The .dairy company began to be greatly perturbed over this continual disappearance, of their automobiles, and when the new sedan of the general manager (H. Stirling) disappeared, it was thought time to make a special effort to lay Jhe culprit by the heels. A couple of nightwatchmeh were stationed in the company's garage, but the culprit apparently became wise to this fact and discontinued his visits. ° And cars from the streets began' to Inirnediately the watchmen were withdisappear with greater frequency, drawn, the "borrowing" commenced again. The watchmen were replaced, however, without the knowledge of anydne but the manager, and the same night into the garage walked Peter Gillies Hansen. '-. - .When questioned as to His presence there, he replied that he was

iiiiiniiiiiiiiiMiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiNiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiuiiiiiiiinliiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii ' •■ . . ""■ (■■■■• a. member of the stalf and that he had a perfect right to take a car,. . The police received word of his visit,' and following another clue picked up by Constable Sutton, -that officer interviewed young' _Dobs6ri;and Hansen, when- they admitted haying joy-ridden together in ... 13 \dif£ ere'rit '■■ cars about which they were. questioned.^ The two youths v: very sorry for themselves^ as, they' stood, together before Magistrate,- 'Wyyernf Wilson. Lawyer : Wally,\;King ; found difficulty in putting forward an adequate def erice to the charges. ;' '■}•,' '''„/.' \ ■ ' He said, in fact, that ;h'e was at aloss as to what to say,', as the two youths had pleaded, guilty to /the chargas against them— 16 against Hansen of converting cars to his own use and' l7 of the theft of benzine; and 13 charges against Dobson of conversion and 13 of theft -of benzine; ' " Counsel said that Hansen had admitted that he was actually responsible for. taking the cars and driving them, and the only excuse that could be put forward was the possible reason .advanced by- Hansen's, father — that his son's head had been" turned by his popularity with the opposite sex. Latterly he had taken -to - ; dancing. ' but apart from his staying but late &t night his- parents had no . complaint whatever >to make regardirig-him. J As to Dobson,^ he ' is ;the son of a well-known Auckland photographer and had been placed in • charge of the Hamilton branch of his father's business. Hansen was 20 years of age and Dobson 19. As a result of this prosecution Hansen would lose; his job and Dobson wdiild be withdrawn from Hamilton by his father. v The S.M. said it undoubtedly ■ appeared that Hansen was .the ringleader and that he had induced Dobson to join him in . his escapades. The magistrate added, that ..probably Hansen was a fit subject) for a borstal institute, but he would not commit him there. ' ' . He must be detained for a cer- - tain period, however, and, he must go to gaol for one month on the -\ ■ last, of the charges. •, Qri the others the S.M. proposed to deatf with Hansen as he would with Dobson.; • He would place them both on probation for two years, a condition being . that neither drove a car during that' period and that they paid, between them the costs of the prosecution and the damage clone to thV cars i. -within two months— a total , of £27-^-a.n6. further lhat each lodged a bond .of £100) as a guarantee that they would carry out the terms of. the probation. ■