UNCUSTOMED GOODS ON THE RIMUTAKA.

Colonist, Volume LIII, Issue 13049, 8 March 1911, Page 2

UNCUSTOMED GOODS ON THE RIMUTAKA.

A GREASER- FIN 101)

A greaser, employed on board the Now Zealand Shipping Company's steamer Kimutafea, named Kicharil AYeedon, was brought before .Mr. J. S. Evans, S.M., at the Magistrate's Court yesterday afternoon, charged with knowingly concealing certain, iincustom ed goods valued at i'G 6s. Tlie goods consisted'of seven electro plated shaving mugs and brushes1, two e'ectro plated shaving -strops, one electro plated cream jug, and thrc-:1 electro plated trinket boxes. Mr. T. M. Cullen, Collector of Customs, conducted the pnweution.

Defendant pleaded guilty to having the goods in his possession. He said they had beon given to him by a stEvirdore in London, to bring to a friend named John- Mitchell, at Lyttolton. On arri/al at Lyttelton, ho heard that Mitchei'.l had gone to England and lie had boen carrying the goods round the New Zealand coast for the oast j-even weeks. Me had never touched the parcels (which were not ■iuldrersrd) from the time he left Home.

Mr Ciillen said the .articles, which were in separate parcels, were found under defendant's bunk. In the usual declaration, defendant hnd signed as not having any uncustomed floods in his possession. Ife pressed for a heavy penalty as a deterrent to others.

In reply to the Magistrate, defendant said he thought the declaration asked for applied to tobacco only.

Tho Magistrate said hie regarded the defendant's story as suspicious, and there was no excuse for bringing such things out to a stevedore. They should have been sent out and paid for as freight. The penalty would be treble tho value of the goods, which he also ordered to lx:> forfeited. The Magistrate subsequently reduced the penalty to a ftn-o of £10.

The articles' referred to were discovered oil board the steamer yesterday morning by Constable Tow'nscnd, who was searching for a quantity of clothing which .had boon stolen from Captain Hone, Marine Superintendent of the New Zealand Shipping Co., the night before. Some of the clothes were found in different parts of the. vessel, but the portmanteau, in which they had been packed, was not discovered, and it is presumed that this was dropped overboard.