A RIDE IN A FRUIT TRUCK.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXII, Issue 883, 25 August 1910, Page 3

A RIDE IN A FRUIT TRUCK.

AND ITS SEQUEL. The railway employees whose duty it is to tranship goods arriving by the 9 p.m. train from Palmerston to Wanganui were the subjects of a surprise on Fridaylast. A truck of fruit was included in the load, and as some of the cases were consigned to the northern towns, the truck was shunted into the goods shed to be unloaded. The sheet was just being lifted off when a burly figure dashed out of the gloom of the truck’s interior, and darted towards the door. The workers were too surprised to make any effort to detain him, and the darkness swallowed him up in a moment. An examination of the truck revealed the debris of what must have been a decent fruit supper, though the actual value was small. The railway officials detained one of the men who had seen the intruder, and the former came upon his man in town on Saturday quite openly-, and had no difficulty in identifying him. The police were requisitioned, and arrested the man, who admitted his identity at once. No time was lost in bringing the accused before the Court, when the whole story came out. It appears that the man, Daniel Jones by name, arrived four months ugo from the Old Country, and has not been successful in getting work since his arrival. This is no doubt due to his being a seafaring man with no knowledge of farming or other shore-going occupations. He was “tramping it” from Wellington to Wanganui, when he saw his chance to get a cheap ride at Turakiua, and under cover of the dusk esconsed himself in a truck while the train was at the station. He found himself right amongst the fruit, and tired and footsore, with his throat parched, he quite contentedly, if not lawfully, helped himself.

Jones made no attempt to deny his guilt, his case being fairly stated by Sergeant Burke, who appeared for the police. His Worship was inclined to order a fine and allow time for payment, but on the suggestion of the sergeant that, in view of all the circumstances, the prisoner be convicted and ordered to come up for sentence when called upon, delivered sentence accordingly. Mr Kerr said he wished to give prisoner a fair chance, and hoped that the affair would be a sufficient warning to him.