(A look at some of the stories that made the news ‘back-in-the-day’ with CLIFFORD STANLEY) 

The quick action of a public-spirited citizen
A CITY resident with a high sense of civic responsibility promptly hauled off to the Police station last Wednesday a friend who offered to sell him an almost new bicycle for $18.
Magistrate Dhan Jhappan was told this at the City Magistrate Court yesterday.
At the Station, the police revealed to the friend of the defendant, the public-spirited Narine, that the bicycle that had been offered to him for sale had been reported stolen the day before.
The defendant, Alli, pleaded guilty to stealing the bicycle of Mary Layne of West Ruimveldt at Rio  Cinema.
He said: “Because I have not been working for some time now, I stole it and tried to sell it to raise some money.”
The Magistrate promptly sentenced  him to three months imprisonment.
(Guiana Graphic: April 3, 1964)

Court humour
A BIT OF humour was interjected into the usual serious atmosphere of the City Magistrate’s Court yesterday morning when Magistrate Dhan Jhappan fined a young electrician $2.50, with an alternative of seven days imprisonment and said: “If you had not reversed in the nick of time, we might have been present at an inquest today.”
Hubert Alleyne had pleaded guilty to a charge of attempting to cross a railway track while a Transport and Harbours Department locomotive was approaching.
(Guiana Graphic: April 11, 1964)

Two brothers fined $700 for ‘Bushie’
TWO BROTHERS, who it is stated were manufacturers and distributors of bush rum, abandoned two demijohns containing the spirits on the Steina Estate Foreshore, West Bank Demerara during a lively chase by the Police.
This allegation was made when the brothers, Boordie Charlie and Lilman Charlie, were tried and convicted by Magistrate A.O. Fung-Kee-Fung at Vreed-en-Hoop over the weekend of being found in possession of two demijohns containing two gallons of bush rum on October 19 last.
The Magistrate, who had previously expressed disagreement with a no-case submission by Queen’s Counsel, J.O.F. Haynes, ordered the brothers to pay fines totaling $700- $350 each- or serve three months imprisonment.
Inspector Edward Godding told the Court that Sergeant Jackson and a party of Policemen, acting on information that the brothers were manufacturers and distributors, travelled to Steina Estate (near Wales), West Bank Demerara, and during a lively chase, caught them.
Shortly before their capture, the men had abandoned the demijohns containing the illicit spirits.
(Guiana Graphic: April 13, 1964)

T&HD will scrap classes on trains
THE TRANSPORT and Harbours Department will abolish the system of separate classes on the East and West Coast railways from the beginning of next month.
The announcement of this break with history was made by Mr. Gladstone Wilson, Minister of Communications, when he was addressing a large gathering at the opening of the Wakenaam Stelling.
The old practise on the railway was to have plush comfortable ‘first class’ compartments, and lower- priced ‘third class’ compartments with wooden seats.
Now the price is to be the same throughout.
Mr. Wilson said: “This will give equality to all passengers travelling on the trains in the country.”
It was not explained whether any structural changes will be made on either of the two types of carriages in order to prevent a constant rush by travelers to the more comfortable ones.
The introduction of uniform fares on the trains will bring this service in line with that in operation in the Berbice, Demerara, and Essequibo ferries.

T&HD Berbice River steamer service
Change in departure time from Ituni
From and including Wednesday 22nd April, 1964, the Berbice River Steamer will depart Ituni at 4.30 a.m. on its return journey to New Amsterdam instead of 5.30 a.m. as at present.
The steamer will operate on the undernoted timings:
Stations.            Departure.
Ituni                4.30 a.m. Wednesday.
Dunspratt.                –
Paradise                –
*Tacama            5 a.m.
Ida Sabina            5.30 a.m.
*Maria Henrietta.        6.00 a.m.
Dubulay.            6.25 a.m.
Weroni                6.40 a.m.
*St. Lust            7.00 a.m.
Ebeny,                7.55 a.m.
(R)Juliana            8.05 a.m.
Hollandia            8.20 a.m.
*Kimbia            8.50 a.m.
Good Hope             9.05 a.m.
Morganstond             9.25 a.m.
Friendship            9.50 a.m.
*Sandhills            10.10 a.m.
Hoffwerk            10.40 a.m.
Gaetroy                10.55 a.m.
(R)*Torani Ranch        11.05 a.m.
*De Velde            11.45 a.m.
*Torani             12.10 p.m.
Sari                1.20 p.m.
(R) Mara            2.50 p.m.
® Rossfield             4.20 p.m.
New Amsterdam (arrival)    5.30 p.m.
*Denotes wharf, ship goes alongside.
® Denotes request stop.
Requests are sometimes made to ship cattle from Rossfield and on such occasions the time spent at Rossfield would be approximately two hours.
31st March 1964. J.W.Evelyn, Traffic Manager.
(Guiana Graphic: April 15, 1964)

The night hubby went home unexpectedly
A 49-YEAR-OLD Demba carpenter went home unexpectedly one night and climbed the back stairs leading to his kitchen, where he told a divorce court he heard “a rustling noise.”
Joseph Langhorne said he rapped on the door, the rustling noise stopped, and his wife answered.
After a while, he rapped again, but this time, his wife answered from the bedroom.
Through his Counsel, Mr. John Carter, Q.C,   Mr. Langhorne  is seeking a dissolution of his 23-year-old marriage to his wife Enid, 42, a huckster. He told Mr. Justice G.A.S. van Sertima:
“I became suspicious, returned downstairs and stood between the front step and the back step.
“Shortly afterwards, a man came down the front steps and ran into a neighbour’s yard in the dark. I do not know the man.”
Mr. Carter told the Judge that Mrs. Langhorne then opened the door to let her husband in, threw her arms around him, crying  and saying : “Sorry.”
Mr, Langhorne said he forgave her, and after a family conference, they were reconciled.
But some months later, his daughter told him something, and as a result, Mrs.  Langhorne became indignant.
The daughter told her father that every night while he worked, a young man slept at their home.
Mrs. Langhorne denied this, and Mr. Langhorne said things ran smoothly for two years, until 1962, when Mrs. Langhorne left the home after a domestic quarrel.
After listening to further evidence, the Judge dissolved the marriage on the grounds of malicious desertion.
(Guiana Graphic: April 16, 1964)

Tonight-8.45-Astor
‘COME leh we go’ to the giant Carnival Show with the Trinidad Calpyso King ‘King Fighter’ and his dancing girl, ‘SUKI’.
Plus B.G’s Top Stars: Inventor! Canary! Panther! P.N.C King! John B. Waithe! Eileen Thorne! The Great Satchmo! The Foster Sisters!  Harry and Ace All Stars.
Pit: $1.00; House $1.50; Bal: $2.00; Box $2.50.
Tickets now on sale at Ace, Robb & King Streets.
(Guiana Graphic: April 18, 1964)

(Clifford Stanley can be reached to discuss any of the foregoing articles at cliffantony@gmail.com or by telephone: 657-2043)