WHEN HORSE WAS KILLED

Taranaki Daily News, 22 June 1933, Page 13

WHEN HORSE WAS KILLED

INCIDENT IN DEVON STREET £4 FINE FOR RECKLESS DRIVING. DRAY WITHOUT LIGHTS PENALISED. POLICE CASES AT NEW PLYMOUTH. An early morning collision, in Devon Street resulting in the death of a horse was recalled yesterday, when George Edward Grover, taxi driver, pleaded guilty at New Plymouth to driving a car without a license on June 6 and to driving recklessly in Devon Street. Sergeant McGregor said that about 6:10 a.m. as Grover was driving towards the chief post office he collided with a dray opposite the Opera House., The horse was killed and the car damaged, the right-hand shaft of the dray having penetrated the wind-screen. Grover was on the wrong side of the road at the time. He had said he did not see the horse and dray . because the windscreen was clouded with fine rain. After the accident he cleared out and could not be found for some time. Eventually he was interviewed at his home. He had visited the Oakura Hotel the previous evening on the way home from the beach but the police could not say he was the worse for liquor. He had no license at the time. He had been before the Court on a previous occasion.

Grover said he had had a license for 10 years, but he had just come out of hospital and had not obtained a renewal. Next day he visited the doctor for an examination and as a result found that he could not eftain the medical certificate necessary for a taxi driver's license for another month; he had just recovered from an operation. He had obtained an ordinary driver's license, but could not get his taxi license yet. He pointed out that the horse 4 and cart had no lights, though it was still dark. His windscreen was misty and conditions were made more difficult by the street light shining across the screen. If the cart had had lights he would have been able to avoid it. He had not been the vzorse for liquor, having been forbidden drink by the doctors when he left the hospital. He had brought a passenger 'rom the Oakura hotel. The magistrate said he could not let such an offence escape a penalty. Grover would be fined £4 for reckless driving.

He pointed out that Grover’s license had been cancelled on a previous occasion. The license he held at present would be endorsed. He would be convicted and discharged on the other charge and ordered to pay 10s costs. One month would be allowed in which to find the money.

In connection with the same accident Henry Quinn was charged with failing to equip his dray with proper lights. Sergeant McGregor said Quinn had the borough street cleaning contract and was engaged in those duties at the time of the collision. He had suffered the loss of a valuable horse.

In entering a plea of guilty Mr. A. A. Bennett said he was informed the horse and dray should have been easily visible if a proper lookout had been kept by Grover. Since the accident Quinn had kept the dray properly lighted in accordance with the law. In answer to the magistrate counsel said the death of the house meant a loss of about £5O. There was little chance of recovery from Grover, though proceedings would probably be taken against him. Quinn was fined 10s, with 10s costs. TRAIN STRIKES MOTOR-CAR. ACCIDENT AT LEPPERTON. A narrow escape from a serious accident was disclosed in the circumstances I leading to a fine of £1 with 10s costs inflected on David Alexander McKay for attempting to drive a car across a railway crossing at Lepperton while it was not clear. Sergeant McGregor said that at 5.15 p.m. on April 22 McKay went to drive over the line as the engine was approaching. The engine truck the carrier of his car and bent the mudguard. No one was injured. According to the engine-driver’s report a hedge obstructed the view in the locality and the engine-driver did not see the car approach. It was known to be a bad crossing. McKay said it was a private crossing out of a farm and the hedge did obstruct the vierv. He said that as an old railway servant he *eit this matter very much. He was fortunate that it was not an ambulance case. MOTORISTS BEFORE COURT. BY-LAW BREACHES CHARGED. Patrick Francis L. Stephenson and Cecil David Smith were each ordered to pay 10s costs for driving in Devon Street without tail lights. Hopkins Sinclair w'as convicted and ordered to pay 10s costs for driving a car

in Devon Street at 4.45 a.m. on May 15 without two head lights.

George Alexander Lyall was fined 5s and 10s costs for driving a car without a tail light at 9.25 p.m. on June 3. John Martin was convicted and ordered to pay costs 10s within a week for riding a bicycle without a light. Thomas Schneller was convicted and ordered to pay 10s costs because there was no tail light showing on his car on the night of June 6. He said the equipment was all right, but vibrations had caused a disconnection. William Andrews was fined 10s, with 10s costs, for driving a motor lorry at night on June 4 without two headlights, and convicted and discharged for having no tail light. He said it was his employer’s lorry. “You get him to pay the fine, if you can,” said the magistrate. Stanley Grange was ordered to pay 10s costs within a week for riding a bicycle in. Devon Street without a light. MAINTENANCE DEFAULTERS. CHARGE AGAINST MANSOOR. Charged with failure to comply with the terfns of an order for the support of his wife at Dunedin on May 1, Joseph Mansoor appeared on remand and pleaded guilty. The maintenance officer (Mr. W. F. Southam) said an order for £3 a week was made on May 2, 1927. On November 2, 1932 it was reduced in the New Plymouth Court to £1 10s a week. Mansoor had always been a source of trouble. It did not seem he had any intention of paying. He paid fairly regularly last year, apparently pending a reduction of the order. After that was obtained he seemed to have made no effort. Mr. N. Little said that by a great effort last year Mansoor had overtaken arrears from June to November. He was an Asyrian. He had been in custody over a week owing to his inability to find bail. As a skin buyer he had done fairly well a few years ago. He had also done country hawking in a I motor-lorry. He had told counsel that [since November until a short time ago he could not get a price for skins. Some he had sent to Wellington were to be sold on Friday, but there was an order for £l2 against them in connection with the registration of the truck, and the selling firm doubted whether there would be anything over that amount. Mansoor had been ill. The case was adjourned a month to give Mansoor a chance of paying. “If you have not paid by then I fear I shall have to send you to gaol,” said Mr. W. H. Woodward, S.M. Nothing had been paid since an order

for 10s a week was made on January 25, said Mr. W. F. Southam (maintenance officer) concering Leonard Taylor, a Maori, who was prosecuted for arrears. He was sentenced to imprisonment for a month, release to be granted on payment of £3, the warrant to be suspended for a month.