DREAM BOAT

NZ Truth, Issue 1184, 9 August 1928, Page 8

DREAM BOAT

Confessions of Ah Opium Dealer

(From "N.Z. Truth's" Wellington Rep.) It Is not always the spinning of*a good tale that oounts, so 'much as how the story goes down. Thjs/ls «- ' about- one that did not go down. CHIDING a man about a dog has many V variations In everyday, narration and m this 1 case the proverbial "dog" took the form of smuggled opium. . You can commence your 'deductions from two harmless pieces a£ evidence.. Cecil Wallingford Brown, taxi- driver, of Wellington, was asked by Harry Thomas Downes to carry ashore;- froni . the • Mara'ma, a- parcel. A Sherlock Holmes would have had this conunr. drum to share with the inimitable Vdear Watson": Did Brown know what ' he was loading his pockets with? • Personally, Downes contended .that " Brown had no more idea than "a bar of soap," which shows, just incidentally, how far human intelligence has progressed m the last six thousand years or so, because a bar of soap sel* dom has a mass of Chinese- characters on the packet. ■■ . - > A TAXI, PLEASE In the Wellington Police court before S.M. Page last week, Brown had to face a charge of being m possession of ..-..< opium, while Downes faced a. count of . importing the dangerous drug. ?; Dowries did not try to dodg<bthe issue, pleading guilty to the charge and" all the explaining he did was to try and free "Brown for his part -in the 'business; •• : . .-. ■' ■ ' .■ ; .-\> : ; ■' ■.."'. . •' ' . i Customs Officer Maclaurin and bis "boarding" . officers brought the prose- - cution. Lfawyef W. Perry was on deck to defend Brown, who pleaded ' not , guilty, and also to say what he could m mitigation of Downes* little doings. It transpired that Downes lis a steward on board the S.S. Marama and has been m the employ of the U.S.S. Co. for a number of years. On . the night m question the. boat berthed about 5.30 p.m. and about ■ o'clock, Downes rang taxi-man on the 'phone, telling him to call at the boat. ■:';■■■'. ■ /. "■ .". \ , . ;;v- •-■ ; Leaving his taxi at the wharf gates, . Brown, strolled on board where he , found Downes. m the middle of hi* ■ ablutions. -'V ' Latei?, m. the steward's cabtii, Dowries handed the new arrival four oblong (Jackets, saying: '-'Put . these m your pockets and carry then* -ashore for me. 1 ?,':- He also handed Brown an accumulator and some Sydney papers; : The papers Brown stuffed into his overcoat pocket, two of the packages he placed m each /side pocket; of his ordinary boat, the other two ..in his hip trouser pocket. ■.'"■■. Out on the wharf. Search 1 Officer Galley thought he would have a. peep at the accumulator. The inspection passed O.K.- but the eagle eye of the Customs official noticed a' suspicious buige inside Brown's overcoat. . > : He asked the taxi-man if he had • anything to declare and received "no" $ for an answer. After asking Brown to open his coat, however, Galley spotted the oblong packages protruding from Brown's inner pockets. Eventually, Brown produced the four' packages, each containing two half-pound tins of opium. .- ■- ■ When Downes was accosted, he had a loud-speaker m one hand and a small ; bag m the other.. The bag contained • two bottles of wine which he had previously "declared" on board and paid duty for. , On being asked Jf he, too, had any opium, he remarked: "Here, you had better take the lot," and handed over two packets. , . HIS MASTER'S VOICE . Customs Officer Maolaurin said he had suspected Downes for some time^ ■The same taxi-driver had met Sim re* peatedly and he always left hie oar outside the ,wharf gates. They were weJI-known to eaoh other. , Lawyer Perry Bald Downes was only an agent on commission. He had-re-ceived the opium from a man m Sydney for delivery to a man m Wellington. He had hot bought it to sell. , It was Downes' practice to have the '• taxi-driver call for him to drive him to his home m Wallace' Street. ■*f In giving his evidence from the _ witness-box, Brown said he was 'ignorant of the fact that the par-" eels given him by Downes contained opium, i Had he known he would; not have taken them ashore. !'■ He did not m any way attempt to conceal the packages from the Customs 'official when requested to -open hia ■coat. He 'followed the of leaving his, car at the wharf gates '.' when he "went to .meet Downes because he never knew how lons the latter would be. ■• ' . ■% Taxi-drivers were not allowed to park their cars on the wharf, and he might have to wait half ' an . hour for Downes. Lawyer Perry called Downes to give evidence m support of his Contention that Brown did not know he was carrying dutiable articles ashore. Downes (vehemently) "Br'bwn did not know from a bar of soap v what he was carrying ashore. The man is absolutely innocent." '•• Lawyer Perry: Tou gave him the packages?— Yes. Perhaps I should not have done so, but Brown didn't know what was m them. ;■-■■•..' ' This is the first time you have acted 'as an agent? — Yes. Counsel: You are unlucky. i JUST ON THE BUNK J Magistrate Page: Where were the : packages when you handed them to Brown?— On my bunk, sir. - ■* What, underneath the pillow? — No, the parcel wa| Just lying open on the * top of the bunk. Witness said he. j picked up four of the packages and ; asked Brown to put them m hia poc- 4 ;kets. . ;..-■... . '•'., ' '. Seeing he didn't know what he was 7 handling, Lawyer Perry contended that . the charge against Brown should be * dismissed, but the S.M. thought other- • wise. . •...' „. "■'■'-.'■■■': 1! i "The suspicions of any ordinary person would have been aroused," he said, * • "by the queer shape of the parcels with the Chinese characters on them." i , Defendant " Brown; had not discharged the onus placed upon him. ; Magistrate ;Page. fined Downes £200, m default six' imprisonment. ■ Brown ..was mulcted m the sum of £25 with the option -of one -.month.'- ' Both men were allowed one week In .which to pay. -

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