THE CASE OF JOHN McMAHON.

Taranaki Daily News, 5 June 1917, Page 7

THE CASE OF JOHN McMAHON.

DEFENCE OFFICE STATEMENT*

Tn our issue of Friday we. published a letter from Win. M'Mahon, Tnglewood, regarding the arrest of his brother as a military deserter. As the case was of particular interest a News reporter Interviewed Major Cox, in charsre of the Tnrnnaki military district, on the master on Saturday. Tn reply to the reporter, Maior Co\ said:—

'John McMahon was balloted, exnmine.L elapsed fit A, and attested in Febro. ary nnd given leave to March 5. On February 23 I received from him an application for extension of leave for three weeks on account of temporarv sioknm On receipt of this with doctor's certificate he was muted, nftt onlv three weeks' leave, but leave to Anvil 12. date of concentration of the next draft for 'amp. Meanwhile, as Wm. McMnhon had vvritten on his brother's behalf, I wrote to him (Wm. McMahon) and asked him to instruct his broth* to report at the Defence Office, »w Plymouth, on March SI for re-cxaminatio'n, this examination being merely to determine whether he was now free from the temporary trouble he had suffered from. (A copy of this letter was shown our reporter).

Reverting to a sentence in the letter tn your paper, I may say that what remarks a member of the Medical Board may have made to John McMahon could not effect the situation, particularly when in my letter referred to I instraated him to apply to me to know his position immediately after the examination had been made. The report I received from the 'Medical Board was to the effect that John McMahon was now freo from the sickness msntioned in the doctor's certificate lie had forwarded to me, and this was all I required. John McMahon was. therefore posted a notice from this office on April" 4, 1817 to his last known address (Okau), instructing him to report at Waitara on the 12th. . This communication was returned with a note from the postmistress at Okau on the 12th to this office informing me that John McMahon had left Okau and his whereabouts were unknown to the postal authorities. John McMahon, having failed to report for camp, I despatched a wire to Okau enquiring why he failed to report and this also was returned undelivered. Having received a letter from Wm. McMahon re his brother in March, I then sent a wire to Wm. McMahon, Bristol Road, Tnglewood, enquiring for John McMahbn's address, and no repry wai received to this. After a lapse of some days and nothing more, had been heard of the defaulter. I issued a warrant for his arrest, and the police apprehended him at Inglcwood on May 18, and handed him over to me at Ha vera. On arrival at Hawera he would, in the ordinary course of events, have had to be detained by the police for two days pending a military escort arriving to take him to tamp. As it was not my desire, nor is it tho desire of this Department that military defaulters shall be detained in civil custody in the lock-up or prison

under such circumstances, unless absolutely necessary, I released McMahon on receiving his word of honor before two witnesses that he would report himself hero on the 21st, three days later, to proceed direct to camp, with the escort. He broke his parole, and did not report, and I had no option but to issue a further warrant and have him re-ar-rested and again 'brought to Hawcra and detained one night before despatch. During detention in the police cells he was supplied with matress and bedding from this Department and escorted to camp next J*y by n military policeman. The outstanding feature of the whole case is that McMahon did not notify this office of his chaiige of address from Okau, and I think you will agree that every means to locate him other than By warrant were exhausted before such warrant was issued. Copies of all correspondence and also the returned letters with memo from the postmistress at Okau are contained on my flies, and after the. consideration which has been shown to McMahon, I consider that something more of the case should be made public in justice to this Department, and more especially for the information of other reservists under the Military Service Act, as Wm. McMahon's letter tends to create an absolutely false impression. For your information I may say that a sister of John McMahon called here after his arrest and obtained from me a full explanation of the whole position, and I do not, therefore, intend to go out of my way to write to Wm. McMahon on the subject."