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NZ Truth, Issue 1141, 13 October 1927, Page 7

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Traveller Watson Crashes (From "N.Z. Truth's" Palmerston North Rep.) Owners of motor-cars who sometimes have occasion to drive their machines through Palmerston North should be careful—for they are very fidgety about things 'up there. TO the Palmerston police, a motorist who has taken liquor is af person to be dealt, with severely— and he al- ' Ws That,'at any rate, was the lesson very forcibly brought home to William Watson, a Wellington commercial traveller, m the Palmerston North Magistrate's Court last week, when he waa fined £10 and deprived of his license for six months, for being intoxicated while m charge of a car. It is just as easy to feel thirsty m Palmerston North as m any other town, so it is not very surprising that William and the man with whom he visited the town had a beer or two. The town of Palmerston North is renowned for its square— and this square is renowned for its gardens, which m their turn are renowned for the hedges which surround them. % There is a band rotunda m the square, situated m the middle of the gardens and separated from the road by a neaij little hedge. About half-past seven on the evening m question^ a certain portly gentleman was standing on the footpath near the band rotunda and quite close to the hedge. He had not been there long, however, before he saw a motorcar careering down- Fitzherbert Avenue m the direction of the very spot where he was standing. " According to his own statement, tie knew the car could not negotiate either of the corners at the end of Fitzherbert Avenue without serious trouble. However, he did not move, but waited to see what would happen. IN CIRCLES The result was that the car just missed him by inches— if he did not exaggerate— sailed joyously through the hedge behind him, circled the band rotunda and travelled along the asphalt path bordering the gardens until it emerged into the street again m the vicinity of the post office. , The witness of this surprisng little drama did not quite know what to do but thought that perhaps the police would like to hear of it. He had been wide-awake enough to take the number of the car as it dashed past him. The result was that William Watson was accosted m Main Street by Sergeant Power. Watson was m a hotel at the time and had booked up for the night. He was taken to the police station, after the sergeant had unsuccessfully tried to elicit some information from him as to the episode m the square. Watson insisted that he should be examined by a doctor, a proposition to which the police agreed. By this time it was approaching ten o'clock, and, when Dr. Peach arrived, he could not do otherwise than say that Watson was sober and fit to drive his car away from the police station. Giving evidence m court, Sergeant Power, much to the indignation of Lawyer A. M. Ongley, who appeared on behalf of Watson, suggested that .defendant had a "pick-me-up" of some description at the hotel. It was certainly a fact that he was improving rapidly all the time he was at the police station. The sergeant • also stated that when he. first accosted defendant, he was told the windscreen of the car had been broken for some time. Nevertheless, the glass which was found at the scene of the accident was of exactly the same thickness as that which remained m the windscreen of the can The bench did not agree with Lawyer Ongley that drunkenness 'had not been established and convicted Watson on the two charges brought against him — that of being drunk m charge of a car and of driving m a manner which might have been dangerous to the public. He would be fined £10 and his license would be suspended for a period of six months. Watson's request that the cancellation of his license be lifted — m view of the fact that he earned his living by travelling was not granted.