Lusitania Survivor in Skegness Police Court
Written by Angela Gooch on June 26th, 2007 in Life in Skegness Past.
An ex-army camp waiter who stole a visitor’s overcoat from a Skegness hotel, and who admitted two previous convictions, was fortunate in escaping a sentence of imprisonment when he came before the Skegness magistrates today.
below: Skegness police court
He was Andrew Findley, alias Dooner, and he pleaded that since the sinking of the Lusitania in 1915, on which he was acting as steward at the time, he did foolish things under the influence of whiskey. He pleaded guilty.
below: Sinking of the Lusitania 1915
John Arnold Handford, builder and surveyor, Chippenham, Wiltshire, said he and his wife went into the Hildred’s Hotel lounge at 1.30pm on the previous Friday for some refreshment. He hung his herring-bone tweed overcoat, which had a pair of gloves and a pipe in the pockets, on a stand near the dining room, where he afterwards had lunch.
The accused struck up a conversation with him in the lounge and followed him into the dining room for lunch. The accused left first, and when the witness went to the stand for his overcoat, he found it had gone.
The total value of the missing articles was £5.
Detective Sergeant, Barnes said his enquiries led him to Butlins Holiday Camp, Ingoldmells, which he visited at 6.30 the same evening.
The witness saw the accused wearing an overcoat which answered the description of the one which had been stolen. As they were going to the office, Findley became violent and the witness had to use force.
He first said that he had bought the overcoat in Oxford Street, London, and took this one on the spur of the moment because he had lost his own in a Skegness pub. He refused to give any details about himelf.
At the police station he said he had had a drink or two and did not know what he was doing.
Findley told the court that since the sinking of the Lusitania a drink of whiskey caused him to do foolish things.
Inspector Harvey said the accused was also known as Dooner, and had been twice convicted under that name. He had been employed for many years as a steward on the White Star and Cunard liners, including the Lusitania.
Findley was fined £2 and £1 7s 6d costs.
Source: Skegness News 21st September 1938
more news from old local newspapers
- Fatal Rantanning Ritual
- Man Fakes His Own Suicide
- Murder in Skegness Tower Gardens
- Sleeping Out in Air Raid Shelters
- Son Brutally Tortures Mother
- Sleepy Driver had Pot in Car
- Fatal Fall - found lying wedged in a Barrel
- New Home is Prison Cell
- Murdered Young Skegness Schoolgirl
- Jailed - Jehovah’s Witness Refuses War Work
