AN EXTRAORDINARY CASE

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3146, 26 July 1917, Page 5

AN EXTRAORDINARY CASE

DEAF. MAN ARRESTED FOR DESERTION. An extraordinary case of a niau wrongfully arrested as a deserter was mentioned by Mr. T. M. Wilford in tho (House of Representatives yesterday. Mr. Wilford asked the Minister of Defence whether ho had' heard of the cone of William Nash, a man who was well known in Wellington, and he was known to bequito deaf. Ho was called up in the ballot, and ho received a certificate granting him leave of absence, ( and drafting him into C 2 (fit for home service only); This was dated March 12.. On Tuesday afternoon when Mr. Nash was. Bitting in lis house a constable came and arrested him as a deserter. Ho handed his certificate to the r.constablo who arrested him, and the constable said, "You'll have to come with me. It's orders,' and anyhow I am not going to loso the pound I got for bringing you along." Mr. Wilford added: "Whether it is correct that a constable gets a pound for every deserter I don't know, but I am sure that when the Minister knows these facts the constable won't get this pound." He went on to tell that Nash had been taken along _ to Bucklo Street, and after being detained there for an hour he was allowed to go free "I am not-blaming the Minister, said Mr. Wilford, "and I am not blara-in-.tho policeman, but somebody ought to°bc made to shoulder the blame for an affair of this sort, and I think tlio Minister should deal with the case. _ Sir James Allen said he knew nothing about tho case, bwt he would make inquiries regarding it.