ON THE SPREE

Pahiatua Herald, Volume XL, Issue 12076, 21 June 1932, Page 5

ON THE SPREE

GAOL FOR RELIEF AVORKERS. Electric Telegraph—Press Association DARGAVILLE, Last Night. Several members of the single men’s relief workers’ camp at Alititai celebrated their first pay day on Saturday by coming to town and getting somewhat the worse for liquor. In the afternoon and in the evening they committed a number of petty thefts at various stores in Victoria, Street, which were placed in a buggy lent by a kind-hearted settler to bring them to town. The goods were a varied assortment and included men’s clothing, toilet requisites, gloves, ladies’ slippers and other small articles to a total value of £6 16s. The Court had the appearance of a store, when they were laid out. The men arrested were round town in the afternoon and were then noticed to be under the influence of liquor, but it was not till late in the evening that the police were informed by storekeepers that there had been petty thieving. A search of the buggy was then made and most of the goods were recovered rrom it.

The arrested men, Albert James 'Nesbitt, Patrick James Scally, William Clarke Smith, Charles Melville Grahamshaw, Robert Patterson, Leslie Zeugofge and Edward James Kennedy, appeared before Justices of the Peace to-dav, charged with the theft of the goods mentioned in the charge. That against Smith was amended to receiving. Patterson pleaded not guilty to the first charge and the others guilty. On a second series of charges Smith, Patterson, Kennedy and Zeugofge pleaded not guilty. After a lengthy hearing all with the exception of Smith, who was discharged, were sentenced to one month’s hard labour. The convicted men seemed decent young fellows. They pleaded that liquor, which they had not tasted for some weeks, was the cause of the trouble. The settlers where they are working all speak well of them anti were surprised to see them in trouble as while on the job they behaved well and had done good work. The Justices, however, took a stern view of the matter and imposed the sentences as stated.