COLLEGE BOYS AS SLEUTHS

Chronicle (Levin), 1 May 1947, Page 7

COLLEGE BOYS AS SLEUTHS

-press Association .

tracked pickpockets till police arrived

By Telegraph-

NELSON, April 30. A college boy's observations of t-wo men who are alleged to have pieked the pockets of spdctators at the Nelson Jockey (Jlub's race meeting at Richmond Park on Saturday, April 19, was the principal evidence in the Magistrate's Court when Jaines Wilson and Patrick John Afee were charged that, on April 19, they stole £80 from the person of Charles James Ruffell at Richmond Parjt and attempted to steal from the person of a man whose identity was at present unknown. Detective Sergeant J. J. Murray conducted the prosecutiOn. Mr. T. E. Maunsell was on the Bench. Charles James Ruffell, aged 85, farmer, of Wakapuaka, said that on arrival at the course he took eight £10 notes from a roll and put them in the left inside pocket of his coat with a rubber band round them. After the fourth race a college boy asked hiin if he had lost any money. He answered no. He wondered why 'the boy had spoken to, him. On Teaching home after the races he diseovered that £80 was missing. A studen't of Nelson College, Riehard J. A. Kerridge, of Richmond, aged 13 I years, said he went to the races with I Tony and Dair Clark. After the second race witness and the Clark brothers left the stand to buy pies near the totalisator. He saw Wilson, push another man - along in a tight pack of people'. Wilson then quickly slipped his hand into the left trouser pocket of the man he was pushing and then bring liis hand out and pnt it under a coat he was carrying on his right arm. Wilson then walked quickly ahead towards the back of the tote and did the same to anothp- man withdrawing a bank note from the pocket. At the same time witness saw a big man, Mee, pushing Wilson along. Mee was right behind Wilson when the latter put his hand into yet another man's pocket. The boys then decided to follow the two men arid not get the pies. Mee walked up in front of a small old man with a wnite beard (Mr. Ruffell, the witness in court). Mee stood jainmed in front of Ruffell so that the latter could not move, starting a conversation. While that was ihappening Wilson pushed his "way round behind Ruffell, feeling in and tapping Ruffell 's clothing. Witness saw Wilson put his left hand under Ruffell 's coat, with draw it and place it under the overcoat he was carrying. The boys then watchod Mee and Wilson move along a line of people, Mee standing behind and shcltering Wilson who put his hand into people's pockets. The three boys then followed the men into a lavatory where it appeared that Wilson'"' was pushing a handful of notes into Mee's righthand j>ocket. Witness said the agcused gave them a rather nasty look ^ut they waited outside and when the two men went out and crossed to the open air bar, they followed. There. were men crowded round the bar where Wilson pushed into a little gap and picked the pockets of two or three men^.Mee. standing besidfe - Wilkofl as if ltt&"hide him. Leaving the bar Wilson And Mee returned to the back of the totalisator where the crowd was still thiek'ahd did the pockets of several more men during the preliminaries to the third race. Wilson and Mee riioved among the people crowded on tlie.lawn near the birdcage, the boys watching them from the steps of the grandstand. On one occasion Mee startecj , a conversation with a man near the fence while Wilson tapped the man's pockets on the outside and then put his hand in the man's coat pocket and his trouser pocket. Witness sai'd he cqntinued to watch the men during the progress of the race when Wilson put his hand in otlier pockets. After the race witness and Tony Clark went to find a policeman but none were about. They invited another boy to aecompany them and they ngaio located Wilson and Mee working along queues behind the totalisator in the same fashion as before. The other boys watehed the men while -witness found a policeman. Later senior Sergeant Knight and Mr. Allsop, racecourse inspoctor, took Mee. and Wilson away. Anthony Clark and Alasdair Clark corroborated Kerridge's evidence. Thomas William Allsop, racecourse > inspector, Palmerston North, gave evidence of watching the movements of accused among the crowd before seizing Wilson who eommenced to struggle. Senior Sergeant Knight arrested Mee. The court adjourned till tomorrow.