STEALING CARGO

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18032, 4 September 1920, Page 7

STEALING CARGO

theft of tweeds.

MAGISTRATE'S COMMENTS,

(Per United Pbkss Association.)

AUCKLAND, September 3. A ,,®l on nlen ? bor s of the crew of the steamer Ayrshire, who were arrested on Tuesday evening and Wednesday morning on chared of stealing cargo from the vessel, wire before Mr J. W. Poynfcon S.M m the Police Court. The four men rested by Plain Clothes Constable Snson in a pawnshop m Hobson street on Tuesday evening, were first dealt with. ' Y Bernard Levy, employed by Emanuel Kissm, pawnbroker, said the men produced four rolls of tweed cloth, which they had had wrapped round their bodies. He had agreed to pay them £2 for each roll. u° i sta t>lo Robinson said th» men told him they knew the cloth was shin'* cargo and .one of them, John Storey a d ! mitted having cut open a bale of eir K o ntll ex , tra , ct * d J* 0 doth. He asked the others to help hini to take it ashore Detective M'Hugh said Storey informed him that he did the pillaging in order to get some pocket money. Ini answer to the magistrate the master of the vessel .said the ship would be in New >pu nd J° r - at least threo or fou r weeks The Magistrate said that if ho did not punish the men it would be an inducement to others to commit similar offences and if he imprisoned them until after the shin sailed it would only be adding to our crim£ nal 0 population. He did not want them . ca P^ in said that if the* men were imprisoned lie would have to get substitute, for them and when they returned he would not be able, to get rid of the substitutes. Ihe Magistrate said the men must be convicted. Storey was plainly the ringleader and he would be sentenced to three months imprisonment; the others would oe lined Ihe captain said that at present the men were not in a position to pay fines. If the company Daid the fines and the men left the vessel at Wellington they would be in debt to the ship. The Magistrate ordered the men to come up for sentence before leaving New Zealand the captain saying that D-unedin was to be the last port. Addressing the men Mr Poynton saidif you leave the ship you will ret a severe sentence. Wo do not want vcu in New Zealand." " On a further charge of embezzling articles of cargo, Storey was sentenced to an additional three months' imprisonment Chargeol embezzling cargo were also preferred against three other men. under whose mat tresses poods wore found by the nolice on Wednesday morning The men said they bad no knowledge that the articles were there. The Magistrate said it wa ; possible someone eso had put the goods there and di«missed the charges.