FAILING TO ENROL.

Taranaki Daily News, 24 October 1917, Page 6

FAILING TO ENROL.

A RESERVIST SENT TO GAOL. At the afternoon sitting of the New Plymouth Magistrate's Court yesterday, .James' Inksman pleaded guilty to a 'charge, under Section 33 of the Defence Act, of having failed to make application for enrolment as a member of the first Division reserve. Sub-Inspector Hut-ton said that the man had shown very considerable cunning in theattempt to evade service, but that he was a man of weak intellect and eccentric and vagrant actions. He was seen by Constable Fitzgibbon on July 14, wandering about the streets, and when questioned said that he bad enrolled under the Act three years ago in Invercargill. but had lost his certificate. His answers were vague and evasive, and it 'was plain that he know very little of Invercargill. A fiost oflice bank book was noticed protruding from his pocket, and this was examined b,v the police. It contained a deposit of .-CO made in the name of Daniel Lawrv. Tile accused said that Lawrv had been away about three weeks, and had g'iveir him the bankbook for safe keeping. He also stated that lie had come into town from Opunake, where ha had been working among the Maoris, to see Dr. Walker in order to obtain hospital treatment for an injured shoulder. This last statement was true, and Inksman was discharged from hospital the previous morning. Meanwhile the police had made inquiries at the Defence headquarters and found that neither Inksman nor Lawrv was enrolled. Accordingly the accused was apprehended on a summons on his discharge from hospital, and admitted that he had not enrolled and that he himself had deposited the money in the name of Daniel Lawry in order to deceive the police as to his real name should he be questioned. As the man was obviously intellectually weak the military authorities would probably not accept him for service. It was purely a question of failure to enrol. Bis Worship said that taking into consideration the man's mental disabilities he would inflict a nominal sentence of 14 days' hard labor, Sub-Inspeftfor Hutton to communicate with the military authorities in the meantime.