PILLAGE OF CARGO

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 138, 6 March 1919, Page 8

PILLAGE OF CARGO

SEVEN SAILORS CAUGHT

REMANDED FOR SENTENCE

I. "Quis custodes custodict?" ("Who jguards' the guards?!'). This question sugi Bested itself in a case heard at the Mag- | istrate's Court yesterday, in which seven I members of the crew of tho American I ship Tonowanda wero charged before Mr. [F. V. Frazer, S.M., with having pillaged a quantity of the cargo. Leonard Budijger was accused of having stolen 1 four ; pairs, of scissors, valued at .£2, the pro'.perty of Dalgety and Co.; Ernest Kirbv, ;2fl tins of tobacco and five pairs of stockjinpfs, of.;the -value of J53 10s.; August ! Kong, ( seven pairs. of ladies' silk stockjings, valued at' ,£2 Is. 6d.; Olav Ember-ll«nd;!i'one!,.pair''of-'lndy's silk stockings, ! valued at Bs.; Ivan Frederick Wright, I seven tins of tobacco, valued at 10s. Gil.; :Ca!rl Hansen, two pairs of silk stockings, valued at IBs.; and Nels Nelson, •one pair of silk stockings, valued at Bs. (All the accused pleaded guilty.

: Detective Carney stated that in company . with Plain-clothes Constable Pidgeon and Customs Officer A. Jones, he searched the belongings of Kirby and iEong9, and found the articles; mentioned ■in the charges against each of them. A large ..quantity of, ladies' stockings had been pillaged from the Tonowanda's cargo, and "several cases of tobacco liad also been broached.

Detective-Sergeant Cox asked that the acoused be remanded for sentence until :to-morrow, as it had been found that a 'claim"for <£500 had been put in for pillaged cargo. "These men were put on to watcli the unloading of tho cargo," he said, "and to see if it was pillaged, ■with tlie result that they themselves are now being charged with pillaging." llf thev were remanded for sentence it would ! enable the police to make further inquiry at Auckland.

The acoused were remanded for sentence until to-morrow.