CITY POLICE COURT

Otago Witness, Issue 3277, 3 January 1917, Page 25

CITY POLICE COURT

Friday, December 29. (Before Mr H. A. Young, 8.3 M.)

Returned Soldier's Folly.—Alfred Ward, a returned soldier, pleaded guilty to a charge of obtaining £4 from the Otago Patriotic Association by means of a false pretence, and with obtaining £l4 4s 5d from the Defence Department with intent to clefiaud. —Chief Detective Bishop stated that Ward was 25 years of age, a married man, living at Greymouth. He had a child. He was a member of the Second Reinforcements, and took part in the fighting on Gallipoli, where he was wounded. Later he was invalided to New Zealand. He arrived back on January 1 and on the 19th of that month wrote to the Defence Department, asking for a new pay-book, as his old one was filled up. A new book was issued, and the old book remained in his possession, showing that the sum of £l4 4s 5d was owing to him. On May 12. at Brunncrton, he received that amount, which was entered in the new book, leaving the amount still showing as owing in the old one. On Juno 9 Ward came to_ Dunedin, where ho approached the Patriotic Association, showing his old book and saying that ho was hard up and Mould like an advance ponding the settlement of the amount owing to him. The money was forthcoming. Ward also wrote to Wellington asking for payment of the £l4 4s sd, as he had not received it. The money was made payable afc

the Dunedin Post Office, the reason being that the time that elapsed from Ward leaving Brunnerton till he got to Dunedin was not sufficient to allow the Paymaster-genera' to get the docket from Brunnerton showing that Ward had already been paid. _ The chief detective said what he could with regard to Ward's services to his country. The police had nothing previous against him. He was in work at the Paparoa Coal Mine, earning lis 6d per day, was -apparently a steady man, and bad said he would refund tho whole of the moneys in instalments of lOs per week.—After remarking that the accused had already been in custody for a week, the Magistrate reviewed the whole circumstances as favourably as was possible He remarked that tho accused had been to tho front, had been wounded, and ever since his return had been more or less under hospital treatment. Looking at the accused ho would not say he showed any ciiminal tendency. It seemed to him that tho trouble probably arose fom his campaign and his wounds. A man who had been under shell-fire and wounded, as the accused was, would not regain his normal condition for some time, and till that time came a certain amount of indulgence must bo shown towards such men. The accused was convicted and ordered to com" up for sentence when called upon, on condition ho was of good behaviour and refunded tho money at the rate of 10s per week.