UNENROLLED RESERVIST.

Taranaki Daily News, 26 March 1918, Page 2

UNENROLLED RESERVIST.

RILEY FURTHER REMANDED. The case of Robert John Riley, who was charged with failing to enrol under the Military Service Act, was heard at the Magistrate's Court, New Plymouth, yesterday morning, before Mr. A. Crooke, S.M. Sub-Inspector Hutton prosecuted and MA R. O. Hughes appeared for accused. Constable Hadler, Fitzroy, said he had interviewed accused and asked him for his enrolment certificate. He said he had never made any application for enrolment- He searched accused and found his birth certificate which-showed he was horn on January G, 1573. Accused said he knew he was medically unfit and had therefore not applied for enrolment. Witness had known accused for about eight mouths, and he appeared to be of robust health. He had told witness he had a bad leg, and had shown it to him, but lie could not see much wrong with it. Accused: That's because you didn't have a good look at it. To Mr. Hughes: Accused was not exactly of normal intelligence. Sometimes he appeared all right, but at other times he was very peculiar. He had seen him on several occasions about different matters.

Accused deposed he had lived with his parents at the Old Hospital road since September 1910. Prior to that he lived at Smart Road and Bell Block. &bout five or six years ago he had an accident in which ho had injured nis leg. He doctored the leg himself, and later, when consulting the doctor about other matters, had shown him his injured leg. He had never had the leg treated •in any way. He did not know anything about having to enrol- No one had ever told him verbally that he must enrol. His father told him something about it and showed him a coupon at Bell Block in 19M. He could not say what was on the coupon; he only glanced at it. He had no communication with any military or police authorities about enrolment. He had seen no notice in the papers that everyone was required to enrol. To Inspector Button: He had won a scholarship at Nelson and had attended the Nelson Boys' College-for two year-:. He passed the Senior Civil .Service examination. He had rot taken much interest i n the war. He did not read the papers much. He swore, by Almighty God, that his father did not, in 1910, bring him an enrolment form to /ill up. During the past two years he had been doing gorse and blackberry grubbing, and also some ditching. He did not think he could do trenching for military service. The conditions were different from those which he lived. Tho Inspector: l Do you intend to enrol now?—l intend going to the hospital and enrolling when T come out. Mr. Hughes said he could say for his client he was? prepared to offer for enrolment and let the medical board decide whether he was fit. Tho Magistrate: Can he do that? Haven't the military authorities power to take him and have him examined 1 Sub-Inspector Hutton said as soon as the Magistrate's decision was given he intended telegraphing to the Defence authorities and to the Government Statistician, for instructions. The Magistrate said of course there would have to be a conviction No man could be allowed to go about without being enrolled, simply because he considered himself unfit That was for the medical boards to decide. A man who claimod to have had a college education should know that he was required to enrol. Accused: I didn't know anything about medical boards. The Magistrate: I think you know a good deal more than you pretend. Mr. Hughes said he had heard some men described as educated idiots. He suggested a further adjournment so that the action proposed by the Defence Department could be ascertainei,' 1 This wf<i agreed to byiv 'lice and a remand «„. till a.m. tomorrow, bail Viajp Sfi2 sa Before.