A PAINFUL POSITION.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1357, 7 February 1912, Page 4

A PAINFUL POSITION.

STOLEN GOODS IN INNOCENT MAN'S BAG. (By TeloErnpli-Prese Association.'. Auckland, February 8. An extraordinary case occupied the ,it(ciilldn cf Mr. H. C. Cutton, S.M., in the Police Court 10-doy, when James genton Reid wns proved innocent of a charge of tltcft levelled against him. The charge , was that Reid stole Jjll lss. in mohsT and lib. of tobacco, the ])roperly of X. V Duff. Sfiiior Sergeant Mnckinnim Stated Hint on Sunday last the eompliiintitil: left the Criterion Hotel for a day on the wnlcr. was in the same hotel, and next morning the colnplainaht gut Sergeant Ramsey to search tho accused's room. A portion of the lost tobacco, wrapped in a piece of paper, was found in Hie accused's portmanteau. Sergeant Ramsey said that when lidd was shown the tobacco in his pintimuilean he showed real surprise. 110 nlso stoutly protested his innocence, and declared tliat someone must have put the tobacco in lo throw suspicion on him. Reid slated that ho was the manngcV of n wine business, where t\o hail been employed for the last yonvf.. On Sunday last lie was wiUi Mr. n. \V, Wilding, and never went new the. ejnnplninnlit's niohi. A qiiiintily of evident was giveii k'gnrding the iiccuHcd's high ehararter. Sir. I'lillen said ho ha.! r,o hwifation in refusing lo coiumit l.lm iioeuw,! for trial. lie w«s iK-rfecUr sntisfn*l 1 lij»fc l'eiil's t!X|>liiiiiil.iun tvdv MitwL, ati'! (lint s-imeone hacMeeli u'liilly or l\ Im.in and despicable, act liy |)ltu:irti: the lolmiw in li.i.i Ikig. The nwii.sod ««.« dih , h.'il">Sl Mr. Cultwi ft-iting that he hnd M-sVxI hxMiic symputhy in the painful position in uluob ho had boon plaoixL