THE STOLEN YACHT.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXXVI, Issue 18533, 15 July 1922, Page 5

THE STOLEN YACHT.

THRILLING EXPERIENCES, BRISBANE, July 14. Westlake, Mills and Smith were charged at the Rockhampton Court with stealing the yacht Kaata. They confessed to the theft. Westlake, who was leader of the exploit, in a statement, said he had been at sea since the age of thirteen. Describing the voyage from Auckland, he said the most thrilling part was a couple of days spent on the Great Barrier reef. They were in the greatest danger, as they had only to get a touch and they would then go to the bottom. He kept both his companions on deck for thirteen hours in the afternoon and night, tacking about in different directions, and avoiding reefs. At two o'clock in the morning, Mills was exhausted and had to turn in. The others kept on deck until daylight, and had a hurried meal in the cabin, and returned to deck. At daybreak they passed the reef twenty feet astern, and saw another three hundred yards to windward. Throughout the day there was nothing but ceaseless watching, and in the afternoon they just missed striking. The reef was eight mi.es in extent. After being forty-eight hours without sleep, they negotiated the remaining reefs.

THE ACCUSED REMANDED. BRISBANE, July 14. In the yacht case a statement signed by Mills was produced in Court. It stated that he joined the Raata at Westlakes invitation. Smith afterwards joined. The yacht was repainted after leaving Auckland, and went to Whitianga, f Mercury Bay. where they robbed a store, securing a stock of provisions, clothing and tobacco. Westlake then told his companions he had stolen the yacht and intended to sail for South America to engage in fishing. The police gave evidence that Westlake at first refused to give them a statement, but afterwards made verbal statements, taking the whole blame on himself. He added that if he had not taken the yacht off the New Zealand coast they could not have done anything to him, as he had her leased for two years. On two charges of stealing the yacht and stealing provisions from a store, the men were remanded to Brisbane to await the arrival of a New Zealand police escort.