O' BRIEN'S FARE

Otaki Mail, 3 April 1922, Page 1

O' BRIEN'S FARE

On Tuesday last a man who gate the name ol John O'Brien came on the New Plymouth train from Palmerston to Shannon. He did not pay his fare, and when asked for it by the guard all John could give in reply was a cold, stony stare. This was no good to Guard McDougall, who put the man off at Shannon in care of the stationmaster. Mr Thomas. As is well known, .the railways are already running at a loss, and Mr Thomas thought he would hoi be justified in further adding to this loss by taking Tourist O'Brien free on the railway, so he called in the assistance of the Police in an endeavour to collect the money from the passenger, a thing they could not do. for John did not Have it. They therefore gathered in O'Brien himself

as evidence. On the 23th instant he was brought before Messrs. Spencer arid Murdoch, J.P.'s, at Shannon, on a charge of vagrancy and not paying his fare on the puff railway. O'Brien said that he was an honest j man and wanted to go to Wellington, S but through hard times and force of | circumstances over which he had noil control, be had no money to pay his !; fare. He would do so as soon as he

j got the money, and urged in extenuaj tion That he was not the first honest man who wa« hard up. j With this part the Bench agreed, H but for travelling without his fare \ they fined him o and the amount of ‘the- fare, or 43 hours’ gaol. John ! left the Court with the apperanee of a man who had a great load lifted i, from his rnind.