HOTEL BILLS LEFT UNPAID BY YOUNG MEN

Stratford Evening Post, Issue 36, 14 April 1930, Page 5

HOTEL BILLS LEFT UNPAID BY YOUNG MEN

A CAR “CONVERTED” ON -.. THEIR JOURNEY. TWELVE MONTHS’ PROBATION GRANTED. Two young men, Alex. J. (Dowling and Allan B, Pearce appeared at the Stratford Court to-day bQfore Messrs S. B. Hunter and W. L. Kennedy, J.’sP., charged in three counts of pbtaining credit by fraud , and with “converting” a motor car. They pleaded guilty to all charges and elected to be dealt with summarily. Sergeant Power said the men were arrested in Stratford on Saturday, Dowling was a linotype operator, with a wife and two children. Pearce was a mechanician. Dowling became unemployed anN worked down to Te Kuiti in search of work, -where he met Pearce, who had been Working the distrfcjt, overhauling typewriters. P'earce had been at labouring work in the South Island, and had come to the North Island. He was very competent at typewriter work.

BUSINESS IS BAD. Dowling, and Pearce joined forces and were fairly (successful till they got to Marton where they found the district had been worked before them. They w T ent to Wanganui, on April sth, hut again found no work, and left on the 7th without paying their hoard at the hotel where they stayed. They worked along the road north, getting very little work, however. They put up at the White Hart Hotel at Hawero, but there was very little work and on the 9th they left there, > wtihout paying their board, in a car they found outside the hotel. The car was later located at Eltham parked in a side-street and quite undamaged. When questioned, accused frankly admitted what they had done. At Stratford work was also scarce. On Thursday they put up at the County Hotel. Dowling had only a penny and Pearce had 3/7. At each hotel they had booked under different names. So far as the police could ascertain there was nothing against either accused.

MONEY FOE HIS WIFE. In a written statement, Dowling asked for probation. He said that every week since he had been away from home he had sent £4 to his wife. Pearce also asked for probation. Mr Kennedy said accused did not seem to consider what they were doing. There was a (series of offences. Dowling: I'm glad we were arrested. * (Mr Kennedy: If you get probation what will you do. Dowling: We can get work. Delivering the Court’s judgment, Mr Hunter said it had been decided to grant probation for twelve months, and three months would be allowed for payment of the sum due to hotelkeepers (£4 10s 6d each). The Court hoped the experience would be a lesson to accused. He hoped the Court had not made a mistake in granting probation, and personally, did not think it had.