Delay in Paying Fare for Taxicab Adds $5 to Cost

Camden Courier-Post - February 21, 1936

If Mr. Blazy Finch had paid his cab fare in the first place, he would be $5 richer today.

William Berkley, of 139 Reading Avenue, Barrington, a cab driver, told Police Judge Lewis Liberman he was called by Finch to a South Camden cafe Wednesday night. There, Finch, who is 38 and lives at 1609 Norris Street, told him he had been thrown out of a saloon and had a broken leg, the driver declared. Berkley said Finch asked him to take him to Cooper Hospital. Berkley said he helped Finch into the cab and when they arrived at the hospital had Finch carried in on a stretcher. Then physicians told him, Berkley testified, that the man had no injury.

Berkley demanded his fare—60 cents—and when Finch refused to pay, called police.

When Judge Liberman asked Finch why he hadn’t paid the fare, Finch said: “I’ll pay it now.” He handed Berkley the fare and a 15-cent tip and Judge Liberman added $5 for disorderly conduct.