LAUNCH DRAMA

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 19378, 16 July 1937, Page 4

LAUNCH DRAMA

SEIZURE BY YOUTHS PROJECTED ADVENTURE HOLDING-UP OF OWNER A story of projected adventure on the high seas was told at the Lyttelton Magistrate's Court when two youths appeared on charges involving the alleged unlawful conversion of the 55ft. ketch-rigged cruising launch Wairangi, valued at £3OOO, and owned by W. R. Carey, of Christchurch. The youths, James Carter, .aged 17, and Arnold Charles Averis, aged 18. were also charged with unlawfully converting to their own use two_ dinghies. Both pleaded not guilty to the charge of converting the launch, and guilty to the other two charges.

Sergeant D Wilson said that the two youths had arrived at Lyttelton on Monday, June 21, and had taken the dinghies to board the Wairangi. They spent each night on board until the Wednesday. On the Thursday afternoon the owner of the Wairangi, Carey, with a companion, William Fielden, happened to visit the Wairangi and discovered the two accused aboard.

In evidence, Carey, general manager of the Kaiapoi Woollen Company, Limited, said that when he boarded the launch he found the door fastened from within.

Threatening Attitude

Looking down the skylight of the saloon, witness saw guns lying on one of the seats. His companion, Fielden, unscrewed one of the skylights and they entered the launch. Fielden opened an inner door, and they went into the engine-room. The lighting system had been fused and the engine had been in use.

Fielden entered the after-cabin, and witness saw the men appear at the door in a threatening attitude, one exclaiming: "We are desperate. Stick them up! We have taken the ship and are putting to sea to-night." One of them was holding a pistol. Witness' impression was that both men were armed.

Witness and Fielden got off the launch as quickly as they could. They asked some men in the trawler Konene to watch the Wairangi, as there were armed men aboard. Witness then saw the two men come up on deck and throw the dinghy in the water and place some of their gear in it. He saw three splashes, as if something was being thrown overboard. The men sculled the dinghy toward the moles, but the south-west wind was raising a choppy sea, and they put back to the oil-wharf and landed.

With the assistance of some other men witness searched the reclaimed land and apprehended the two accused. He drove them to the police station and handed them over to the police. On the way to the police station they said I they would give him £SOO to let them off. Magistrate's Admonition

The magistrate said he would convict on all charges. "You are two really stupid, foolish boys," he said to accused. "If you had been a little older it would have been my duty to sentence you to a sharp term of imprisonment." On the first charge they * would be admitted to probation for two years. A condition was that they paid the amount of the damage to the Wairangi, amounting to £24 8s 6d, and a further condition was that they did not in future associate with each other. On the two other charges each was convicted and ordered to make restitution of the amount of the damage.