The Sydney Morning Herald, Mon 2 Apr 1917 1
LAW NOTICES.
———◦———
Monday, April 2.
…
SYDNEY QUARTER SESSIONS.
Walter James Baker, uttering counterfeit coin; Alfred Johnson and George Betteridge, breaking, entering, and stealing; William Fogarty, assault with intent to rob; William Adamson, misconduct. At 1.45 pm: Robert Pollard, for sentence. Note.—Only the witnesses in the abovementioned cases will be required to attend the Court to-day.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Bendor Tea Rooms (A.M. Bend), Colonial Finance Company, Herbert
Ludgater Clothes store, Goldstein’s Furniture Warehouse, c. 1926.
Image: NSW State Library collection. Reproduction: Peter de Waal
The Daily Telegraph, Tue 3 Apr 1917 2
CRIMINAL.
———
…
Before Judge Docker, at the Quarter Sessions.
…
William Adamson, [42], a returned soldier, 3 was charged with misconduct, [indecent assault on Charles Pratton, 15], on February 26 last at a house in Liverpool Street, Sydney. Mr Maddocks Cohen appeared for the accused, who denied the alleged misconduct. The jury returned a verdict of not guilty, and the accused was discharged.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
The Sydney Morning Herald, Tue 3 Apr 1917 4
QUARTER SESSIONS.
(Before Judge Docker and juries.)
(Mr AF Dawson for the Crown.)
…
NOT GUILTY.
William Adamson, a returned soldier, pleaded not guilty to a charge of misconduct on February 25 at Sydney. He was defended by Mr Maddocks Cohen. The jury returned a verdict of not guilty after three hours and a half deliberation.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Singleton Argus, Tue 17 Apr 1917 5
WAR COUNCIL’S GOODS.
———◦———
SOLDIERS PUNISHED FOR SELLING.
————
William Henry Mills, aged 24, a returned soldier, appeared at the Central Police Court on a charge under the War Precautions Act. It was alleged that Mills had disposed of certain goods, which had been advanced to him by the State War Council to start a poultry farm.
Defendant pleaded guilty. He said he had been on active service in Gallipoli and France. Returning wounded, he asked for assistance from the War Council, but he did not start a poultry farm instead, he started a laundry at Hurstville, but could not make it pay. Then he met with an accident while working as a dealer in the city, and he sold the property—a horse and cart, etc.—which the War Council had lent him, because he was hard up.
Defendant was fined £25, in default three months’ gaol.
A similar charge was preferred against William Adamson, aged 43, another returned soldier. He received £39 worth of goods, including a horse and cart and farm implements, to use at Manilla, but came to Sydney, and disposed of them.
Defendant said he could not make a living in Manilla, and he thought he had the right to sell the goods. He pleaded guilty, and was fined £25, in default three months. Defendant said he had neither money nor friends.
1 The Sydney Morning Herald, Mon 2 Apr 1917, p. 5. Emphasis added.
2 The Daily Telegraph, Tue 3 Apr 1917, p. 7.
3 The digitised WWI service record of William Adamson (service No. 795, barcode 3022345) can be viewed at: www.naa.gov.au
4 The Sydney Morning Herald, Tue 3 Apr 1917, p. 4.
5 Singleton Argus, Tue 17 Apr 1917, p. 1. Emphasis added.