TOOK SAILORS TO A DANCE

Taranaki Daily News, 10 November 1932, Page 2

TOOK SAILORS TO A DANCE

A LEATHER COAT IN CAR

TAXI DRIVER ACQUITTED OF THEFT

FIND NOT REPORTED TO POLICE "I do not think it has been proved beyond doubt that he took it,” said Mr. R. W. Tate, S.M., at New Plymouth yesterday, when dismissing a charge of theft.against John. Meads, a New Plymouth taxi driver, who had taken a party of naval ratings to a dance at Egmont Village on October 11. It was alleged that he had departed from the danee with a leather overcoat valued at £4 and .belonging to Geoffrey Arthur Corney. Detective Meiklejohn said the coat had been recovered from Mead’s home. Mead’s story was that he had found it on the floor of his car. Giving evidence, Corney, a farm hand, said that he left his leather overcoat in the supper room about 8.30 p.m. Ihe last time he saw it was about 9 o’clock. Between 1 a.m. and 1.30 he nnssed the coat when he went to get it. He saw Meads at the dance. On October 14 he saw Meads at the police station. Subsequently he produced the coat at his home. , , To Mr. A. A Bennett: Though he did not know accused previously, he had seen him on the taxi stand. In answer to the Court Corney said that he put the matter in the hands of the police next morning. The same day he received a clue. Alfred. James Thomason, farm labourer, said, he, too, saw accused at the dance. The next time he saw him was on the taxi stand, after which he went to the station and informed the police. On the night of the dance he had seen accused walk through the middle of the supper room with his hat on. On his return he had a leather overcoat and wa« proceeding to put it over his other arm. He was riot wearing an overcoat when he went into the. supper room. Meads had been wearing a dark brown tweed overedat when he arrived at the dance about 10.30 p.m. The overcoat he took away from the hall was not the one he had been -wearing. TOLD WHAT HE HAD SEEN. . The next day Corney told him he had lost his coat, whereupon he told Corney what he had seen. Cross-examined, Thomason said he was quite clear that the man carrying the coat was wearing' a brown felt hat. He had seen Meads wearing a sailor’s hat at one period of the danee. Constable Butler said he spoke to Meeds on the Devon Street taxi stand on November 17, and later at the police station. Detective Meiklejohn told Meads he had been seen taking the coat from the hall. 'Meads said he had mt taken it, but that he had a coat at his home that had been left in his car after he returned from the Egmont Village dance. With Corney and Meads they then went to Mead’s house, where Corney identified the coat.

“I -suppose I will get into trouble over this, but I never, stole the coat,” said Meads, on the way back to the station. He said he. had not made any inquiries about the owner.

In a statement he said-•he had driven a party of sailors to the mountain and Stratford, and it was on the way back they called at -the danee. • The sailors had a. demijohn of beer and often went out to sit in the car. When he reached home he found the demijohn and glafiiSriS and the coat. He took the coat inside and watched the newspapers for an advertisement. .. -

Mr. Bennett said the defence was based on the man’s stadement and frank conduct. There was not sufficient evidence to convict a young man of the serious crime of theft. Counsel did not blame the police for laying the charge. He admitted an explanation was necessary, but this man was not a thief. Unfortunately there had been a practice l among Checker taxi drivers of not reporting the finding of lost property to the police, but instead they took charge of it until the' owner inquired for' it. Counsel had pointed out the danger. of such a practice, as it involved the risk of a charge of theft being laid. The: drivers in question now realised the position and would report such finds in the future.' ' LETTER FROM DIOMEDE. Counsel pointed out that Meads was in a difficult position. regarding the production of evidence, but lie had received a letter from the Diomede indicating the lines on which evidence from that source would be given. ’ If, after hearing the defence, the magistrate was not satisfied with the explanation counsel would ask for. an adjournment to enable him to call evidence. Mr. Bennett then read two Wanganui testimonials regarding .Meads’ character. He was - a. married fnah, 26. years of age, and had been driving service cars for 12 years. .He had not previously; had trouble with the police. Meads then gave evidence in confirmation of his statement. He said his was one of three taxis that conveyed a party of sailors to the mountain, then to Stratford for dinner, and afterwards to the dance; During the. day the sailors had filled three two-gallon- demijohns three times. Liquor was drunk in hotels and in the car. At Stratford two girls joined the party, which arrived at the dance between 8.30 and 9 o’clock. Most of the party went inside. Witness entered later. He had .been wearing a bluish tweed overcoat lined with, a dark brown material similar in colour to that of the leather coat. He did not wear his tweed hat into the hall, but most of the time spent there he wore a sailor’s cap. They left the hall between midnight and 1 o’clock. Just before going away ho obtained his coat from the hall. He hung it over his arm and carried his hat in his hand. The first time he saw the leather coat produced was at home that night, when he. turned the light on inside the-car. The coat was lying on the floor. . .He hung, .it in. his wardrobe. When he heard of-the charge he wrote to the Diomede and’ had received a reply from the torpedo-lieutenant, who had been in charge of the party, and a signed statement 'from two of the ableseanien. To Detective Meiklejohn: It was not his habit .to have so much liquor in his car. '. He .thought that as his car was engaged by the party ' he had to take instructions from the lieutenant. Several of the meh were drunk, but they had not got drunk in his car. DRINKING . QN DUTY DENIED. He adinitted he had some drinks. It was not his habit to take liquor,, when on duty. He denied he had been addicted to drink at Wanganui; he had accepted drinks only while off duty from taxi driving. At Wanganui during the years he was driving to and fro from Marton he had found the owners of most of the property left in the car, except small articles, which the drivers kept if the owners were not found. He admitted he would: have kept the coat had the owner not’been found.' He had watched the papers for an advertisement. He

denied a suggestion by constables at Wanganui' thathe was not of good character..

Richard P. Walsh, a Checker taxidriver, said Meads bn -the morning after the dance had told him of the coat and asked that inquiries should be .referred to him. Four or five days later Meads told him of the police charge. The magistrate said Meads’ statement was quite frank, and there was a certain amount of doubt involved in the matter. It seemed a pity the matter could not be cleared up in a positive way, but- it had not been proved beyond doubt that the man took -the coat from the hall.

. In reply to the detective, Mr. Tate said he agreed that this method of handling lost property was most dangerous as it opened the way to a charge of theft. He would not convict Meads, however.

Detective Meiklejohn: But he admitted to .me in. the box that he would have kept the coat if it had not been inquired for! The magistrate: Quite so, and it would be theft if he kept it. Mr. Bennett: I can assure you it will not happen again. This has been a lesson to these taxi men that they must' report found property to the, police. Air. Meiklejohn: This sort of thing is always cropping up.