ARRESTED WRONGFULLY.

Otago Witness, Issue 2258, 10 June 1897, Page 30

ARRESTED WRONGFULLY.

! A FARMER'S MISTAKE. A somewhat unusual case occupied the attention of Messrs Hugh G-ourley and Michael Fraer, J.P's.,' who presided at the Police Court yesterday. A respectable-looking youth named John Augustus was ohorged with obtaining £5 from a farmer named D*vid Farquhar, of Warepa, by means of f &lac pretences. Sergeant O'Neill said that the youug man had been working for a farmer named Farquhar near Batclutha. The young nvin left the farmer's employ on the previous day, and the farmer paid him £8 which he owed him, namely— £s and three single pound notes. Subsequently the young man found that instead of getting a £5 note he had got four single pounoi notes.- He went to the farmer's wife and told her, and she gave him a£s note. He wen'taway, and when Farquhar came home his wife told him vshai; she had done. He immediately &Bsert9d that the youDg man had deceived her, and that he had reallj received the £5 note in the flret instance. The young man -had meanwhile taken the train to Dunediii, and as Mr Fsvquhar had set the law ia motion he was arrested on his arrival in Dunedin. When brought .to the police station ifc was discovered, that he really had two £5 notes ia hi» possession, but he accounted for this by saying that he bad drawn one of the £5 notes out of the savings bank, where he had an account. The police subsequently discovered that the whole thing had been a mistake, and, under the circumstances, they requested the permission of the court to withdraw the information. Mr SolomoD, who appeared for the young man, said that before the request of Sergemt O'Neill was granted he wished ta make a few remarks. He said that the young man had formerly been in the Industrial School, where he bore the very highest character, and it was at the rcquesS of Mr Barlinson, the master, that he (counsel) appeared. As the sergeant of police had told the 1 court, when the youth found thab, he had only received four single notes instead of three singles and a £5 note- he went.to Mrs Farquhafr and exchanged a. single note - • for a £5 note. He then \ went' on to Dunedin, and on arriving at the | station he was arrested.,, The sergeant, however," did not finish the story, for when he was searched he .was fouud' to have £9 over and abov.e what lie had received from Farquhsr. This money he had drawn from the savings bank, where he had an account, and the police communicating with the bank were apprised of this faefc. Now it was all very well for Mr Farquhar to say that ib was all a mistake, but it was pretty hard Hnea that the young man, who was absolutely innocent, should be arrested on a railway station and conveyed to a lock-up at the instance of this farmer, who afterwards calmly explains th&t it was all a mistake, and he (counsel) thought the least the beuch should do was, to give expression to their sympathy with the ypung fellow. - Mr Gourley : Is there oo way of- getting Farquhar to pay the expenses ? Mr Solomon : An aciion for milicious' imprisonment could he brought against him, bub it would swallow up the whole of this youDg man'i savings. . . ' Sergeant O'Neill eaid that as soon as the police were aware of the facts they released the young man. Mr Solomon said that he T did not blame the police at all. They could no nothing else than what they had done. Mr Fraer : We can't make Farquhar pay the expenses. Mr Solomon :• I don'fc think you have got the power. Mr Gourley : It is quite evident that the boy leaves the court without a stain on his character. T*he request to withdraw the charge is granted.