CHARGED WITH THEFT

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 6, Issue 86, 2 July 1943, Page 5

CHARGED WITH THEFT

VAGRANT IN COURT

SENTENCE OF TWO MONTHS

The ragged and unkempt appearance of middle-aged Arthur Clarance Hardy as he stepped! into the dock at the Whaka-

tane' Court last Wednesday* was belied by his polished speech and the obvious politeness which made him establish a local precedent of loftily thanking: the court for sentencing' him to

two months imprisonment

Hartlv who pleaded not guilty to the charge of having stolen 011 June 23rd a watch, a felt hat, a pen and two combs (valued at £4 Bs)' and also <a further one of vagrancy... stated that he had been so drunk that he had no recollection of anything.

Sergeant Farrcll said that at I'D p.m. on M.ay 23rd he had been ejected from the l Whakatane Hotel after being found; in the vicinity of the bedrooms upstairs. Later when the goods were missed lie liad been traced to Te Teko and arrested in tlio bar of the TiS'Tek©;-Hotel. The hat, pen and : combs had been recovered but so far the watch had not been found. According to the Sergeant,, ,he was in a, very distressed state when arrested, his* clothing being in rags in such a bad state that the.y had to be replaced. He had been living out for some time and was in the last stages of destitution. Accused said that he had been engaged in a timber mill operating near Rotorurt and when temporarily put off to enable the mill to be shifted, he had come to town .with his wages and got drunk. He plead-? Ed for a chance 1 to get. back to- work. The police record showed accused to belong to the category pojjularly known as 'an old hand' and. lie was therefore sentenced to two months in the Mt. Eden gaol, the bench commenting that, it seemed a pity to sentence a man who was down and out.