William Slade Vincent

15.0
William and the Law

William, by now, had fallen on hard times and he was charged with vagrancy on 30th December 1930 and was to appear in the police court on 31st December. The Edjudina field, mentioned in the newspaper article, was a goldmining area located 240 km north-east of Kalgoorlie.

William apprehended for Vagrancy [118]

William appeared in court on New Year’s Eve and was remanded for a further eight days so that the police could make further enquiries as to some money found beside William on the road.

William remanded for eight days

William wrote a letter on 6th January 1931, asking to the Repat. Dept. to accumulate his retirement pay as he will be out of touch with mail for three to four months. The Dept. agreed to do this.

William asked to accumulate retirement pay [119]

An article appeared in the local newspaper on 8th January 1931 and William was again remanded for a further eight days. The detective that appeared for the police said the further remand would give the accused an opportunity to receive money, by the English mail. He also said that if the money came to hand William, other charges against William would not be laid. The detective stated that the request for the further remand was prompted by the accused himself. [120]

William had obviously mis-calculated and needed money quickly to show his was not a vagrant and had means. But he had already asked the Repat. Dept. to accumulate his retirement pay. He wrote another letter to Repat. Dept. on 21st January 1931 and said he was extremely sorry that he had to cancel his previous instructions for them to accumulate his pay.

William asked Repat. Dept. to cancel instructions to accumulate retirement pay [121]

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[118] Kalgoorlie Miner (WA : 1895 - 1954), Wednesday 31 December 1930, page 4
[119] Australian National Archives – British Pension Record BP4532 William Slade Vincent
[120] Kalgoorlie Miner (WA : 1895 - 1954), Thursday 8 January 1931, page 4
[121] Australian National Archives – British Pension Record BP4532 William Slade Vincent