FOUND ON FIRE ESCAPE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 25386, 18 November 1943, Page 7

FOUND ON FIRE ESCAPE

ATTEMPT TO ENTER HOTEL YOUNG MAN SENT TO PRISON The story of an unsuccessful attempt on the part' of a young man to force an entry into the room occupied by a female employee at the Leviathan Hotel early yesterday morning was told before Mr J. R. Bartholomew, S.M.. in the City Police Court yesterday, when James Arthur Edward Watson, a labourer, aged 24 of Dunedin, pleaded guilty to being found without lawful excuse ill the hotel in circumstances that did not disclose intention to commit a crime. Senior Sergeant D. Vaughan stated that the accused was a married man, living apart from his wife. He had been warned by the proprietor of the hotel and by the police to keep away from the hotel premises, but at 2.30 a.m. yesterday he had been seen on the fire escape leading to upstairs rooms. When he was arrested he had in his possession a sheath knife and a fretsaw blade, the purpose of which was apparently to gain admittance to the room of an employee, a sihgle girl, to whom he had been paying attention. I know I have made a fool of myself.” said the accused, when the police evidence had been given. "An offence like this as inexcusable, commented the magistrate, sentencing Watson to a month’s imprisonment.