WARNING TO MOTORISTS.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume VI, Issue 1735, 5 September 1919, Page 11

WARNING TO MOTORISTS.

POLICE TRAP AT BELFAST. Motorists who use the main. North Road should take warning that there is a police trap set for them in Belfast. Constable P. Moore, of Belfast, has a portion of the road measured off, and over this he times motorists with the aid of a stop watch. The position of the measured portion of the road is not for publication, but Constable Moore would be glad if motorists would take notice of the fact that the trap is somewhere in Belfast, and proceed with due caution accordingly when passing through the town. Constable Moore had another "bag" from his trap up at the Magistrate's Court this morning. Most* of those charged did not bother to put in an appearance. However, Frank Murdoek did appear and denied that he had exceeded the speed limit of 12 miles an hour. Mr F. S. Wilding represented the defendant.

Nonstable Moore said that defendant had travelled at 25 miles an hour.

Mr Wilding asked the witness if he had had any previous experience in estimating speed. Witness said he had. Mr Wilding then read a cutting from a newspaper, describing how Constable Moore, of Methven, had seen the light of a mysterious airship in the sky one night. Standing behind a telegraph post, Constable Moore had, from the moving light, estimated the speed of the airship at 10 miles an hour. Mr Wilding asked witness if he was the Constable Moore referred to.

Witness: I am. But that was only a joke.

The defendant contended that he had not gone above 12 milea an hour. The Bench decided to give defendant the benefit of the doubt, and the charge was accordingly dismissed. Mr F. H. Christian, one of the presiding Justices, remarked that a 12-miles-an-hour limit was unreasonable, because it was~very hard to get a car down to that speed. ' The following motorists were also dealt with, on charges of exceeding the speed limit: —Christopher G. West and Mabel Sheppard were each fined 20/and costs'; Edward Sharlick and John Hughey, jun., were each fined 10/- and costs.