CARGO PILLAGING.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17013, 11 April 1923, Page 8

CARGO PILLAGING.

HURUNUI SUFFERS HEAVILY. At the Lyttelton Magistrate’s Court to-day Charles Frederick Ingram, Albert Edward Jenkins and James Lola. Stowe, three seamen from the s.s. llurunui, appeared to answer a joint charge of stealing eight rolls of satin, valued at £lB 10s, and seven and a half pairs of slippers, valued at £1 10s, of a total value of £2O, being theproperty of the New Zealand Shipping Company. Sergeant ivl’Holm stated that the accused were firemen in the s.s. Hnrunui. Yesterday they -were noticed at l a.m. in the hold and going away from the hatch, of the vessel. When asked what they were doing in the hold they replied that they were playing hide and seek. Apparently they were playing seeking and finding. The Magistrate: What do they do with the goods when they do not get caught ? Sergeant M’Holm: They sell them to shady shopkeepers who are willing to make a few extra, shillings and take the risk. Captain Davey, master of the Hurunui, stated that pillaging on the present trip from the United Kingdom was first discovered by the second officer of the vessel on February 10, aday before reaching Panama. The lazaretto, on being inspected by the second officer, was found to have been tampered with, and several cases were found to be pillaged. The cases contained boots and general merchandise. Further cargo broaching, attributable to the crew, was also discovered while laying at Tokoma.ru Bav on March 29. One case of Glaxo was found on the shelter deck pillaged, and also a ease of chocolate and a case of whisky, only one bottle remaining in the case. At Wellington on April 3 on an inspection being made of No. 5 hold the padlock locking the escape hatch vros found to have been forced, and a large quantity of general cargo was missing. The hatch on the previous night at 10 t>.m. was securely locked. Other cases pillaged were two oases of slippers- (half empty), three cases of merchandise (half empty), one case of perfume, one case of cloth (four rolls short), one case of cloth (partly pillaged), and a number of other cases (partly pillaged). At Lyttelton the padlock on No. 5 escape hatch was again found forced, and on investigating the hold lights were seen in the ’tween decks. The police were informed and the arrests were made. He considered that goods to the value of £2OO had been stolen.

The accused on being asked if they had anything to sav. replied that it was the first time thev had committed the offence and they had been unlucky enough to b© caught. The Magistrate pointed out that they were liable to twelve months’ imprisonment with hand labour and that in the future he would deal more severely than he intended in the piesent case. He would sentence each of the accused to three months’ imprisonment with hard labour.