TOO CONVIVIAL

Southland Times, Issue 19291, 9 July 1924, Page 2

TOO CONVIVIAL

A HILARIOUS PARTY. OVERCOAT DISAPPEARS. The inside history of an apparently highly convivial little evening held at a bouse in Ettrick street, was disclosed in the Magistrate’s Court yesterday morning before Mr G. Cruickshank, S.M., when James Sandri (Mr G. Reed) appeared to answer a charge of theft of an overcoat valued at £5, rhe property of John Ryder. Senior Sergeant Scaudrett outlined the case, saying that in response to a complaint from Ryder he had communicated with the police at Gore, where Sandri had been arrested with the coat in lb.”- possession. John Ryder, foundry worker, of Invercargill, said that on the night of June 30 he was present at a party in Mr Morrison’s house in Ettrick street. He arrived about 8 pan. and left his overcoat hanging in the hall. He discovered its disappearance about 11 p.m. During the evening Sandri left the house, but returned later on, and was still there when he (complainant) left. To Mr Reed. He had a “few in” but was not drunk. He could not say how much drink was at the party, but he did not see any in the house. He. was drinking with others in a car outside. There were about 20 people present at the house, including some women. Robert Anderson, who said he was present at Morrisons that evening, also admitted having “had a drop of liquor.” He brought Sandri down to the house in his car and also went home with him but could not remember whether Sandri had a coat with him on either occasion. To Mr Reed: The liquor was beer in a 3-gallon keg. Mr Reed: Who drove the car down to the house?—l don’t remember. Who drove home?: Sandri drove the car: I was outside on the step. Mr Reed said he thought it must have been a very drunken sort of party. The witnesses had not been al all

clear as to what happened, and under the circumstances Sandri’s statement, which the Court was about to hear, was worth just as much as thdr’s had been. James Sandri said that on the night in question, Anderson had called in a car to take him to the party. Anderson had a three gallon keg in the car which was duly consumed at the house. Having run out of liquor, two of the party were dispatched to a place in Tay street for fresh supplies, and a 2-gallon keg of stout was obtained. This was also consumed, and about 2 o’clock the party broke up, it being arranged that Sandri should sell the empty kegs and the money obtained was to help pay for the liquor. There was “a bit of a rumpus” going on outside, where some of the party were fighting, so he covered the jars with a coat he found in the hall and carried them out to the car. In the morning he had attempted to return the coat but by an unfortunate series of accidents he was prevented, and finally had to leave for Gore with Mr Kilkelly, by whom he was employed as a drover, with the coat still in his possession. The Magistrate: What was the reason for wanting to cover the nakedness of the jars?—There was a man standing over the road and I thought he might be a policeman. The Senior Gergeant: Have you ever heard of a policeman patroling Ettrick street at 2 o’clock in the morning?—l’ve heard they have been about there. The Senior Sergeant: In future they’ll be about there a bit more. In giving his decision the Magistrate said that Sandri had been very casual about the whole matter, and it was impossible to believe he had taken the coat with him to Gore purely through force of circumstances. He would be convicted and released on 12 months probation, conditional upon his taking out a prohibition order, and that he obtains work in the country and does not return to town except with the permission of the probation officer.