RATHER GO TO GAOL

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18206, 29 September 1933, Page 6

RATHER GO TO GAOL

MAN FROM RELIEF CAMP STOLE TWO BICYCLES A young man who had told the police that he would rather go to gaol than work in a “slave camp” for 10s a week was dealt, with accordingly by Mr. E. L. Walton, S.M., in the Police Court this morning when he pleaded giuilty to two charges of theft, being sentenced to two months’ imprisonment. The accused was William Fenny, 23. who was charged with the theft on September 2 of a bicycle valued at £9, belonging to Lindsay Robert Castles, and a bicycle valued at* £8 belonging to Thomas George Foster. He elected to be dealt with summarily on both charges.

Detective McLeod explained that with his brother the accused had been employed in scrub-cutting at a station at Hangaroa. On September 2 they came into town, and that night the accused stole the bicycles, one. from the rear of a billiard-saloon, and the other from the rear of a theatre. He took the machines home and told his brother that he bad borrowed the bicycles for them to ride back to work. They rode the machines out to Hangaroa, and on arrival there the accused dismantled them and transferred the parts one from the other, after which lie repainted them. One of the machines was numbered 33160, and the accused, with a cold chisel, altered tiie 3 to an 3. the 1 to a 4, and the 6 to an 8. making the number 88480. clearly indicating 1 hat he intended to steal the bicycles.

“We have been subjected to considerable. annoyance during the last 12 months through thefts of bicycles,” continued Detective McLeod, “arid as Your Worship is aware it is a form of offence that is extremely" difficult to detect and t race.

“When 1 spoke to the accused lie said lie.was not going to work in a slave camp for 10s a week, and that there would be more, thieving amongst single men. It appears that, lie would sooner steal than go to'camp. In fact, lie said, he would rather go to gaol.” Mr. A. A. Whitehead, in appealing for leniency on behalf of the accused, explained that on the day on which the offences tonic place Penny and his brother had been told that they must return to work immediately or they would lose their job. That was probably tfie reason whv the bicycles were taken. The accused had no money; lie was only 23 years of age, and bis father bad been dead for 16 years. His family was in dire straits.

“There is another aspect of these bicycle thefts,’’ said Detective McLeod. “The machines are nearly always stolen from people who can ill afford to lose them, and in 95 per cent, of the, cases they are required by their owners to ride round looking for work.” Without comment, the magistrate sentenced tho accused to two months’ imprisonment with hard labor on ear!) charge, the terms to be concurrent.