DOUBTING DRIVER

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LV, Issue 17452, 29 December 1930, Page 10

DOUBTING DRIVER

INCIDENT IN DETROIT , POLICES HOLD-UP NEW ZEALANDER’S EXPERIENCE Mistaken for a gunman, and searched by American police, Mr. H. H. Stewart, of Greeniane, Auckland, had a disturbing experience while travelling through the United States on business. During the six weeks lie was in Detroit, 37 people were shot to death, and gang warfare and lawlessness were rife.

“I had been visiting friends in Detroit,” said Mr. , Stewart on his return from Europe by the Rangitiki, “and bade them good-night about 11 o’clock. 1 walked on to Hamilton street, intending to take a street car, but seeing n taxicab parked nearby 1 woke up the driver, who was asleep, and asked him to take me to the Statler Hotel. I then observed that it was not a standard type of taxi, but one of the pirate taxis that do business in Detroit. The driver did not go very far when ho turned into a- little sidestreet in the factory district, uiitighted and perfectly dark. 1 became suspicious and asked the man what ho meant by going off the main road. He said : ‘This is shorter and does not cost so much.’ Just then lie slowed down and passed a large car known as the ‘Lincoln Flier,’ which I afterward learned was used by the flying squad of Detroit, standing by the kerb. We had not gone more than a chain past this car when it moved off and bore down on us, blowing its horn, it shot right in front of' us and ran us on the footpath.”

“PUT UP YOUR HANDS” “A man got out and asked the taxi driver who was in the ear. When (old it was a fare, the man said: ‘All right, we will look him over.’ ” ■ -Mr. Stewart was told to get out, and as he did so he found himself looking into the muzzle of a six-shooter. He said, “What is the meaning of this?” and a man said, “Foreigner, oh ” “Yes, Britisher,” replied Mr. Stewart. “Well,” said the man,, “put your hands up.” Mr. Stewart did so and was searched, and when ho again protested another man stepped out of the car and said: “Wo are United States polico and wo want to know if you have a gun?” “When they were nearly through the search it struck me the best thing to do would be to give them rny card, and, unthinkingly, and no doubt very foolishly, I put my hand into my pocket,” said Mr. Stewart. “The gun was instantly thrust under inv chin arid a voice said, |‘Don’t move it!’ They searched iny pocket, even putting a lighted torch in, and then said, ‘All right, you can go.’ “In (he taxi T asked the driver if he had ever had an experience like that .before, and his reply was, ‘Those boys are pretty good to us and whenever we are in doubt we know just- where to locate them.’ From inquiries I made afterward 1 have since come to the conclusion that discovering I was a foreigner the taxi driver became suspicious and probably a bit •'scared, so as a matter of precaution he drove past the police car and signalled for help. “This is a. fair sample, I understand, of what is going on all the time in Detroit,” said Mr. Stewart. “Lawlessness was on the increase when I .was there. It is encouraged no doubt by the acute unemployment problem. There are 1.500,000 people in Detroit, and owing to the slump in the motor trade there are 185,000 people regularly out of work. I The parks are full of these people all

day and late at night. Many of them are lining driven to aIT kinds of extremes to find food for their families. If would seem that some of them use. any means at llieir disposal fo attain their ends.”