CARRIED LOADED GUN

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 857, 28 December 1929, Page 1

CARRIED LOADED GUN

“A VIOLENT MAN,” SAY POLICE INQUIRIES TO BE MADE Described by Chief-Detective Hammond as a violent-tempered man, Richard Calvin Harris, alias Murphy, was drinking in an hotel yesterday with a loaded revolver in his trouser pocket. Harris, a labourer, aged 28, from Australia, was charged at the Police Court this morning with unlawfully carrying a five-chamber revolver and five rounds of .32 calibre ammunition. He pleaded guilty. Mr, P. K. Hunt, S.M.: What were you doing with that? Accused explained that he had bought the gun from a seaman a week ago for £2. He bought it for a pighunting gun and thought that it was registered. The Magistrate: Have you been carrying it all the week? Accused: Certainly not. The Chief-Detective: It was loaded and in his trouser pocket when he was drinking in an hotel bar yesterday. He won’t tell us where the gun came from. He says he had it only 20 minutes, but he has been carrying it about for a week. He is a violenttempered man and perhaps it would be as well if the case were stood down for a few days. “Yes, you had better make a few inquiries,” agreed tile magistrate. Accused urged that he did not remember the name of the seaman from whom he bought the revolver, which was a black-barrelled, pearlhandled weapon. A remand was made until Tuesday. “Harris has been very cheeky about the whole thing,” added the chiefdetective. 'V.