HIC—TATE Francis Bumps Trouble

NZ Truth, Issue 1103, 20 January 1927, Page 5

HIC— TATE Francis Bumps Trouble

■ (From "N.Z. Truth" Special Auckland Rep.). It was a balmy night m November. The dance 'was over, and Sydney Phillipson had whirled his dainty partner, homewards along New North Road. Outside May McKenzie's home, near the Mt. Albert tram terminus, the car pulled up, and the two sat fora while discussing the moon and the prospects of rain on the morrow— perhaps; ' . JUST when the .conversation had reached the point where it was almost a foregone conclusion that the next day would be a fine one, the two were rudely interrupted by a crash. Something or somebody had bumped into the back of the car. The something turned out to be a motor-bicycle; and the somebody, Francis, Alfred Tate, who was on his way home from another party. The impact knocked Francis out for the moment, and when he reI covered sufficiently to stagger to his feet, both' Sydney and his little friend, May, noticed that the subtle perfume of his breath was tinged : with the fumes, of alcohol. Sydney suggested taking him across to a doctor's house across the ..way, but the interrupter of their conversation about" £he moon didn't want a doctor. Sydney then suggested taking him' to the police station/ but he didn't want that either. There was apparently no pleasing him. Francis Tate lived not far, away, also m. New North Road, and leaving his bike lying where it had fallen/he proceeded home om foot, returning next morning for the machine. For the next nine days, however, he was laid up as a result of his crash, and. when P. C. McGlone called to see him a couple of days after the accident, he found ayery sick man. In the Magistrate's Court at Auckland, Francis had to" face a charge of being m a state of intoxication while m charge of a ■ motor-cycle. He told.the court that half a dozen of his fellow-employees and himself had had ,a V little party that balmy November night, and his share m the alcoholic' refreshments provided — one bottle of port and a half-bottle of whisky— was too small glasses of the red, and one (also small) of the amber. "I am not used to taking liquor," said Francis, "and I seemed to lose my head the feast little bit." "It is rather refreshing to get such frankness T from a defendant on a charge of- this kind," said the S.M. when he had heard all abbut the crash m New North road, "and I am quite prepared to accept his statement that he had taken .only quite a small quantity of liquor and that he is unused to taking it. However, there is no doubt that, as has been proved, he should not have been m charge of a motor vehicle. "This case .is unfortunate from the defendant's point of view. His vix-tues have been his undoing. It is not one of those cases where the court finds it necessary to be very severe. All the same it is necessary for me to impress on him the importance of being thoroughly normal when m charge of a motor vehicle." * Taking into consideration the , fact that Francis had already been well punished as a result of his accident, the S.M. imposed'no penalty, but convicted him and ordered him to pay witnesses exes, 30/-, and another 15/- oourt costs. ,