CARGO BROACHING.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LX, Issue 16824, 28 November 1916, Page 3

CARGO BROACHING.

A VERY BAT> CASE.

AUCKLAND, November, 25. "It appeared as if a blast of destruc- ■ tion had blown through, the ship," der c'lared Chief-Detective McMahon' in the l Police Cofurt yesterday when relating to Mr P. V. Frazer, S.M., the damage > which had been caused to cargo in the holds of the steamer Opawa by cargo pillaging, and in connection with which James Lintcn; a> fireman on the vessel, had pleaded guilty to stealing two.cases of whisky, valued at .£6. . Continuing his remarks, the."chief detective said that when the Customs officers sea rched the vessel ■ they found 3 "plants" of whisky^; tobacca, clothing, soap, hats, and a .host,of other articles ,in various parts of the ship.1 The ac- U cused was discovered in the tunnel of' the ■? ship whither he.had gone to sleep off the effects of drink, and beside him Avere two bottles of whisky. Although two .' cases' of whisky were gone accused was not considered to be the ring-leader, but to have been drawn into it .by others. He was a married man with a .wife-and ■< four children in England, and the ship was prepared to take him back. . Accused said he had only three bottles n altogether.. , - . ' The magistrate said it appeared as if the accused had,merely assisted in disposing of some of the whisky by drinking it,and that'hb was not the real thief. He would be fined £2 and ordered to pay { the value of three bottles of whisky, 15s. : Later in the day Joseph Patrick King, * another fireman pleaded guilty to steal- t ing a hat, valued at 3s 9d. : . The chief detective eaid that on Wed- l nesday night.it was discovered that the ( hatches had been removed and a quantity of cargo pillaged. Owing to the 1 construction of the hatches keys, must have been used* to gain entry, showing that the thieves were evidently well prepared. When the hold was entered tho | Customs' officers saw one of the "worst pillaged" ships that had ever come into ' the port. Over ,£IOO worth of articles lad been discovered in various parts of i tlvi ship, and although a quantity of material had been disposed of here it i was evident that the thieves had "planted" some with a view to disposing of it . in other ports. ' The accused was found with the hat on his head. He stated that he bought it \ ia London, but later admitted stealing , it In all 52 hats were missing. Although the charge against accused, said •the chief detective, was only one of stealing a hat valued at 3s 9d he had good reason to believe that he was one of the ringleaders. The modus operandi in connection with the theft of the hats was for a man to go ashore wearing a stolen hat. dispose of it. and then return to tho'ship wearing an old cap. This operation wo-uld be repeated until the supply of stolen hate was exhausted. It was a most scandalous state of affairs to exist on a ship, and cargo pillaging had become so frequent that merchants knew before ever they opened their cases that something would be missing. The chief detective said he was glad to say that these firemen had been caught, otherwise suspicion might haw fallen upon the waterside workers. The ship's officials did not want the man back, and he hoped that accused would be made an example of. Tho accused said he only took one hat, and that he did not drink. Mr Fraser said that the thief was n. deliberate one for personal srain, and the fact of the man not drinking mad-o it all the worse as it cculd not be regarded as a drunken act. He would have to'pass a sentence that would art as a deterrent to others. Accused would he sentenced to three months' hard labour.