A LONG "JOY "RIDE

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2335, 17 December 1914, Page 7

A LONG "JOY "RIDE

. A YOUNG MAN IN TROUBLE. - , James Peroy Williamson, a young man, appeared in the Magistrate's Court yesterday, before Mr. W. G. .Rid? dell, to ■ answer -a charge of obtaining a taxi ride by misrepresentation. Tho information read asifollows: —"Did:incur a certain- debt or liability to George Howard to the amount of £50, and "did obtain credit to that amount by means of fraud." Alfred William Cameron was tho chief witness,in'the.case,,; Ho said that at 6 p.m. on November U he was employed as a taxi driver for George Howard. On that date accused came to him and said lie had just como from the ■ Trenthaui camp. Hβ had received a'wire from Wait-ara to say that his father had been killed, and he wished to be motored to attend tho funeral there. The wire, he said,'had been delayed by tho military authorities or he would have been away sooner; Witness said he would motor him through if the money were forthcoming; ifc would cost a pretty stiff sum. Accused Baid he did not care what it cost so long as he_ could get there, in time to attend his father's funeral. His father, he said, was captain of the vessel Dawn at Waitara. 'Witness drove Williamson to the wife o-f his employer to make arrangements. On the way accused was very down'-, cast and was-crying. When asked if he would take an, extra driver with him, acoused agreed,_ saying' that. he must . get there quickly—no' "natter what the cost might bo. The arrangements were then completed, and at 8 p.m. the same evening witnessd, accused, and Parnell (the extra driver) left in' a ; car for tho north.

Near Inglewood they stopped at wliat accused said was a relation's house. Ho said he would go in, and about ten minutes he came- out orying, and said that his father had been killed as the Dawn.was entering Waitara, a wave knocking him against the wheel and breaking his neck. ' Later they stopped at the Terminus Hotel, New Plymouth, so that accused might seo his sister to ascortain if she were going to the funeral. ■' He returned, and explained .that she was too upset to reply, and later he sjiid he would go and see her again, and that he would return in about half, an hour. Witness never saw him agvn. Witness made some Inquiries at the .sistor's house ; and the same day they drove to Waitara, and they then saw Captain Williamson, of the Dawn. Hβ was alive and wejl. On the run through to New.Plymouth witness and Parnell paid the oxpenscs, two tyres and an'inner tube were_ used. Accused paid nothing for the hire of the car. • . ' Thomas Parnell, the extra driver, gave corroborative evidence. William Colwell, military instructor, said that up to November 11 last tlierej had been a. man named James Percy Williamson, a mombor of the force at Trentham. At 10.30 a.m. on November 11 ho was discharged from the f wee. Williamson was handed a railway pass to Now Plymouth,' and given his own clothes. , Detective-Sergeant Boddam, of New Plymouth, said he arrested accused at Now Plymouth on December 9. Aocused was the son of James Williamson, master of the sailing vessel Dawn, trading out of Waitara. ■ Witness had known Captain Williamson for the past 18 years, and had seen and spoken to him on December 8 last, ao that he was not dead. . ■ Accused, who stood in the same attitude with his head down throughout tho hearing of the case, had nothing at all to say. Ho just said, "Guilty, sir," and was committed to the Supremo Court for sentence.