A LONG "JOY" RIDE.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 166, 19 December 1914, Page 4

A LONG "JOY" RIDE.

. AN EXTRAORDINARY ESCAPADE, i i James Percy Williamson, a young limn, who was recently before the court in New Plymouth, appeared in the Wellington Magistrate's Court oir Wednesday, before Mr W. O. lliddell, to answer a charge of obtaining a taxi ride by misrepresentation. The information read an follows:— £ 'Tt\d incur a certain , debt or liability to George Howard to the amount of £SO, and did obtain credit to that amount by means of J fraud." , i Alfred William Cameron was the chief j witness in the case. fie said that at j 6 p.m. on November 11 lie was employed as a taxi driver for George How- , ard. On that date accused came to him and said he had just come from tko . lientham camp. He had received u wire from Waitara to say that his father had been killed, and lie wished to be motored through to attend the funeral there, llie wire, he said, had been delayed by the military authorities, or he would have been away sooner. Witness said lie would motor him through if the money were forthcoming; it would cost a pretty still sum. Aecused said he did not care what it cost so long as he could get there in time to attend his father's funeral. His father, he said, was captain of the vessel Dawn at M aitara. \\ itness drove William-

son to the wife of his employer to make arrangements. On the way accused was } downcast and was crying, U lien aakeil if lie would take an extra di'iver with him, accused agreed Bavin" that he must get there quickly—no mat" ter what the cost might be. The arT langements were then completed, and at 8 p.m. the same evening witness, accused and Parnell (the extra driver) left in a ear for the north. Near Inglewood they stopped at what. . accused said was a relation's house. Ho ; sa . ld ''<= would go in, and about ten . minutes aftor lie came out crying, and said that his father had been killed as the Dawn was entering Waitara, a wave ; Knocking him Against the wheel anj ' breaking his nccll. Later they stopped ; at tlie Terminus Hotel, New Plymouth. ; so that accused might see his sister, to ascertain if she were going to the funeral, He returned, and explained t that she Vas too upset to reply, and later he said he would go and see her again, and that lie would return in about half an hour. Witn/ss never saw him again. Witness made some inquiries at the sister's house, mid the same day they drove to Waitara, and they then saw Captain Williamson, of the Dawn. He was alive and well. On the run through to New Plymouth witness and I til noil paid the expenses. Two tyros and fin inner tube were used. Accused paid nothing for the hire of the car. * Thomas Parnell, the extra driver, gavo corroborative evidence, William Cohvell, military instructor,

said that up to November 11 last there had lioon a man named James Percy Williamson, a member of the force at Trentliam. At 10.30 a.m., on November 11 he was discharged from the forec. iVilliamson was handed a railway pass to New Plymouth, and given his own clothes. Detective-Sergeant Boddam, of New Plymouth, .said he arrested accused at New Plymouth on December fl. Accused was the son of James Williamson, master of the sailing vessel Dawn, trading out of Waitara. Witness had known Captain Williamson for the past 18 years, and had seen and spoken to him on December 8 last, so that he was not dead. Accused, who stood in the same attitude with head down throughout the hearing of the case, had nothing at all to say. He just said "Guilty, Bir," and was committed to the Supreme CWLitg a.