A PATIENT’S ESCAPADE.

Otago Witness, Issue 3803, 1 February 1927, Page 69

A PATIENT’S ESCAPADE.

VIEWED AS SERIOUS OFFENCE. (From Our Own Gobbesbondent.) BALCLUTHA. January 27. A patient in the Balclutha Hospital took “French leave” on Wednesday, and in a borrowed motor car, accompanied by the porter from the hospital, made a trip to Henley and back. While having supper in the home of a friend at Balclutha after the jaunt, the chief culprit ■was arrested. The sequel was heard in the Balclutha •Police Court to-day, when - Roy Allen, describing himself as a commercial traveller, was charged, before Messrs S. V. White and William Roy, J,P.’s, with having ''unlawfully' and without- colout-.of right, but not so as to be! "guilty of theft within the meaning of the Crimes A’ct, converted, to; Kis own use a motor car. of the value of £BO, the property of Gabriel N. F. Fint'Hter. >. Gabriel Fi'ndlater, proprietor of the Coffee Palace, Balclutha,- gave l evidence that the accused came to the Coffee Palace a-fortnight ago and said he had..to-go into the hospital on-account of his leg troubling him. He asked .for.the loan- 7 of witness’s motor car in order to. go (ind see, a doctor. Witness told J. Roe to drive the accused to the hospital. On Tuesday th 1 accused hired the car!to go to Kaitangata; . iHe paid 10s, and ‘promised the balance later. He, said he would be- away .’fop, only 4 two ; hours, and instead« had had the car ’for

two days. The car was found in the yard of a Balclutha resident on Wednesday night. The accused had not returned it to witness. The car was considerably damaged, the front spring being broken, and the brakes were not working well. When witness found that the car had disappeared from the hospital on Wednesday he notified the police. Constable Johnston gave evidence that the accused had been seen leaving the hospital in the car, accompanied by M'Arthur, the porter, at 8.30 a.m. on Wednesday. Witness subsequently rang up the Henley Hotel, and was informed that the accused had left for Balclutha between 3 and 4 p.m. About 8.45 pan. witness was on duty in Clyde street, and he recognised Findlater's car cross the street. He telephoned the hospital, but it had not arrived there. On investigation he found the car at the place of a friend of M'Arthur’s, where the two men were having supper. He arrested accused, who stated that he had hired the car on the previous day and had not returned it. The accused said that he had hired the car on Tuesday to go to Kaitangata with West, another patient at the Balclutha Hospital. He had rung up Findlater from Kaitangata stating that he would be later than he expected. He had to take West back to the hospital,', and intended to return the car on the Wednesday, but in the morning he thought a two hours’ jaunt would do him good and persuaded the porter to accompany him. West had obtained leave for them both from the hospital on Tuesday, but he had no leave on Wednesday. ■.-•-■■- The bench took a serious view.’of the matter, and fined. Allen £5, and ordered him to pay the damage and hire of the car (£7 2s 6d) and court costs (7s), in ” default seven days in Dunedin gaol. The accused said he had no mon?y.

Mr J. P. Northey, phvsical instructor at the Otago Boys’ High School, passed through Rotorua recently (says the Chronicle). He is on a bicycle tour of the North Island, having already done tho South Island. Making a start from Wanganui, went via New Plymouth to Te Kuiti, to Wairakei, Atiamuri, Whakarcwarewa, and Ohinemiitu’; He left with the. intention of riding through Hamilton to Auckland on to Whangarei, and returning via Thames, Waihi, Tauranga, ’Gisborne, and Napier, where he ends his. tour. Tho only bit of bad luck he had was being benighted about seven miles from Tokaanii when it rained in torrents, accornpahied'-'by thunder and i: lightniilg. He had to walk and wheel his niachine for seven mileii. .j.' "’.