BROKEN INSULATORS

Taranaki Daily News, 16 November 1935, Page 17 (Supplement)

BROKEN INSULATORS

CONVICTION OF TWO YOUNG MEN. OFFENCE REGARDED SERIOUSLY. The seriousness of damaging telephone pole insulators was stressed by the police and a witness for the Post and Telegraph Department yesterday when Sam Rosewarne, farm labourer, and Clifford ' Spice, factory assistant, appeared before Mr. W. H. Woodward, S.M., in the Hawera Police Court to answer a charge of wilfully destroying or damaging on or about July 19 at Meremere 40 insulators valued at £3 3s 4d. Rosewarne pleaded guilty and was fined £l, and Spice, who pleaded not guilty, was fined £2. Complaints were received from the. P. and T. Department that 40 insulators in the Ohangai and Meremere districts had been damaged, said Sergeant J. Henry. It was ascertained that several school children were responsible for some of the damage, and it was learned that Rosewarne and two others were returning from opossum trapping when Rosewarne, who was carrying a rifle, shot at and damaged an insulator. When taxed with the matter Rosewarne was frank and admitted damaging one insulator. Sergeant Henry urged the seriousness of the offence. Especially was this so in out-districts, where the settlers were dependent upon the telephone in the case of emergency and illness. In reply to the magistrate Sergeant Henry said a number of juveniles would appear before the court on charges pertaining to the breaking of insulators. The police had been unable to account for the breaking of all 40 insulators, which were spread over distance of about four miles. The breaking of insulators was a serious matter not only in the OhangaiMeremere district but also in other districts, said C. R. Switzer, an officer of the department. The insulators were broken in July, and when the men went to replace them in September it was discovered that 47 were damaged. He had that day learned that in another district 70 insulators were damaged. The number broken annually was many hundreds. The cost to the department and the inconvenience to the public was considerable. A few years ago he visited schools in the country districts and addressed the children on the seriousness of damaging insulators. The desired effect was only temporary. The department viewed the matter seriously. Questioned by the magistrate, Rosewarne admitted breaking only one insulator. He had assisted the police to detect other offenders, and he would appear as a witness in a later case. OTHER CASES AWAITED. Mr. Woodward intimated that Rosewarne would be convicted, but he would not inflict the penalty until he had heard the other cases. Sergeant Henry outlined the circumstances surrounding the alleged offence committed by Spice, who, he said, accompanied Rosewarne on tire opossum trapping excursion. When first interviewed by the police Spice said Rosewarne broke two insulators. It was not until a second interview that Spice said anything about having fired the rifle himself.

Sam Rosewarne gave evidence that both he and Spice had fired at and broken one insulator each. They were riding horses at the time, said Rosewarne to the magistrate. He fired the first shot. He had not denied that Spice broke an insulator.

Constable Donovan said that when he was interviewed Spice admitted breaking insulators some years ago. At a second interview . he . admitted . firing the rifle, but denied breaking the insulators, Jie.

did not mention using the rifle when he was first interviewed. Rosewame was recalled and said the incident occurred at 2 a.m. on a moonlit morning. He knew tire insulators were broken, for he saw pieces fly off when the insulator was hit.

Spice, giving evidence on his own behalf, detailed the incident, but denied he hit the insulator. He fired at the post. He had been warned as a school- boy against breaking insulators. • To Sergeant Henry he said he hit the post. Rosewarne hit the insulator and he saw the pieces fly. He did not think Rosewarne would tell an untruth about him. They were friends and both were staying at his home on the night of the alleged offence. When the magistrate pointed out that Spice said in his first statement that Rosewarne had broken two insulators Spice admitted he had hit only one. “You have both heard about the number of insulators broken in the district and the amount of inconvenience that results from it,” said the magistrate. “I believe that you, Spice, have broken at least one insulator. In the first place you did ./not tell the police at the first interview that you used the rifle; you would have done had you been honest. I cannot believe your story. You will be fined £2 and ordered to pay 13s. costs and pay for the insulator. You, Rosewarne, have been candid and will be fined £1 and ordered to pay 13s costs and thg cosi of the insulator.’’