THE AFFAIR AT COOPER'S SHOP.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1501, 25 July 1912, Page 2

THE AFFAIR AT COOPER'S SHOP.

CONSTABLE'S ACCOUNT, At' the Magistrate's 'Court yesterday John Albert Corbett and Albert Stockbridgo wero charged with having broken and entered tho of F. Cooper, Ltd., •Willis Street/ - oil the . night of July 18, ■(iiul stolen severipeticc. Corbett was represented by Mr. T. M. Wilford. Stockbridge- was not represented by counsel: C i'i Arr.etfino,Constable's Evidence, Constable Smart ga!ve evidence that at about 9.30 p.m. on July IS ho had been passing the shop of P. Cooper, Ltd., in Willis Street. He lmd seen two men come 'out by thd' door; The door had banged, and. had flown open' again, and witness had asked: "Are you not going to close the door to-night?" -As soon as he (witness) spoke Stockbridge made off. He then questioned Corbett who stated that ho was working at the shop, packing seeds, along with his "mate Smith." Questioned as to why the ''mate" had made off so fast, Corbett merely replied that "he did not know." Corbett however added that if tho; constablo would coino infeido with him-lie would introduce him to Mr.' Cooper, who would Snv that Corbett had been working there. They accordingly entered. Tho shop was in darkness and Corbett remarked that Mr. Cooper must have gone upstairs. They both went to the- Mercer Street door, and Corbett knocked and said: "Are you there, Fred?" Tliero was lio answer and Corbett then said',': "He,!m'ust'l)» in the bffico on the top-f100r.",,-(Thfifi go. upstairs, and on the.-stairs,' they -met>Mr. Hales, secretary to Cooper, Ltd. 11l reply to him (the' constable) Mr.' Eales at onco stated that Corbett had no right to be oil tho premises. A subsequent examination, of the shop had. revealed that the cash register had lieen interfered with, 13 seed hoses had'i been removed from their shelves to the'.floor, 1 and 'some drawers had been putted out. On searching Corbett, wifc"ness had found a chifeel in his overcoat pocket. During tho walk to the police station Corbett had said: "When I get to the police station, I am going to tell nil. • I have been dragged into this." Ho also' volunteered the statement that his iliatels name was Albert Stockbridge.

; > "peelinfl of a Mother." ! Jit 1 . Wilford was then proceeding to interrogate tlio'witness, and the cross-exam-ination had proceeded some little way when A woman in Court: "It has mined my bov's character!" ..' Mr. Wilford: "All right,"Madam!" His Worship: That will do! Mr. Wilford (to tho Bench): It is the natural feeling of a mother, j'our. Worship. '' . ' " His Worship: Very well. "Once a Man Falls—" Giistfiv Allbright gave evidence ■to the feffefct that Stockbridgo had been living with him at Brooklyn, mid on the ovening.'of July 18 had gone out, saying that ho would bebaek in about an hour's time. ■ StocTkbridge'had' not returned that" flight, and had not been in the house at about 2 o'clock oiTthe following morning, when some detectives had searched thf house. Ho had not seen Stockbridge again till he had now, come into Court. Witness had never seen,® revolver in Stockhridgo's possession. ... ' Detectivo Lewis said'that at the police -ftntion on July -18 Corbett had : 'mado a '•statement to hiiii'.to the effect that lie had been 'on his ■ way to'"the pictures" that he had met Stocßbridge, who had said that he would accompany him along the road. When they had got opposite" Cooper's, Stockbridge had asked him to wait at. the front door while he went inside. Stockbridge had said thftt when, he came out lie would explain his reason"for going in. Just as Stockbridge had csnife"'o'iit by the front' ilodr a;Constable' had 1 come along, and Stockbridge had run away. Corbett had gone back to close tho door and the constablohad grabbed him. On July 19 witness, and l-Detective-Andrews had approached Stockbridge in Customhouse Quay, and had .told him that they wanted an account of ■his movements-on the previous nisht, and had informed him of the reason for. their • requiring that.information, Stockbridge had then said : "You are always chasing mo about.. If a .man falls, rtnee, you aro always after him." Stockbridge had denied having Seen Corbett on the night of the 18th. and had stated that lie had slept; at ATlbright's on tho previous night. Stockbridee, when searched, had a revolver intl some cartridges on him. The accused pleaded not guilty, mid were cdmriiitterl to the Supreme Court for trial. Bail.,(£loo).was allowed each of them;

WAS HE GARROTTED? MAN OF 71 YEAKS IN, A' HOTEL. * Henry M'Tlroy-was charged .with having •assaulted' Jntncs- Blandford",'tind robbed' him ||of' iC2; on ; jTuli* 6. :.Jli\ 0. Goultor appeared for the. accused: . ■ ■ ' James Bla'ndford,-who gave his age as 71 years, deposed that he had been at the Cricketcl's' Arrrts. Hotel At about fl 'o'clock onthe evening of July B in a room near?the bar. At' that: lime he had had a little over J2 in' his possession., He had "shouted" for.'somebody, but \ho could not say'who the person Was. Sofno one behind him had put an arm under Ins chin, forced his head back and token his mousy-ff6m his pocket. ftp had not •been able .'to.call out immediately, .but just as,"the'job" hnd been done, and. his mOht-> ; :hdd-KOne, he had fiitmagGd .to give "a. bit of a screech," which hod brought the barman to the room. -. Bridget. Foley, wife of the licensee of the nhtel, said that on heating a noise she had gone into 111/' I'notn, and found M'llroy pimilngßlamlford's hands behind his back. Blftn-dford had called out th'it he had, been robbed, by Jl'llroy, and she had ili-n called her brother. John. Xolan, brother of the previous witnoss. stated that when he Ind cone into the room Blandford was saying that the accused had' robbed liini. and accused was protesting that hn had not done so. Witness had declined to allow atciised to KO until the police, hid been brought alonfr, but while witness had gone to the .street floor- to &ea it tlwis am A .oon-

stablo about, Hio accused had run away. Subsequently, nt Mount Cook I'olico Station, witness had identified accused from among a number of men. Detective Cnssells stated that ho had arrested accused in Tory Street oil Jmy 111, when accused had denied having been in the hotel on tho evening of July G. After tho man had been identified, and had been' charged with tho offence, he snid;: "Oh, well, it will do me Rood; it will'get tho beer out ol' 1110!" Constable Doyle said that after the interview of Dotoctive Cassells with accused, accused had said that he might liavo been in the hotel on July G; that ho had been drunk and had not known what lie was doing. Accused pleaded not guilty ami was committed to the Supreme Court for trial. OTHER CASES. Owen M'Aleavy was fined 10?. for insobriety. Thomas Patrick Pritchard was Temandeil till July 31 on a charge of liis having assaulted Neil M'Dougnll. Thomas Jones, who pleaded not guilty to a chargo of the theft of ono pair of boots, valued at ,£l, belonging to Daniel Coronno, was remanded till Friday. Norman Diggle, was fined 55.; with costs (175.), on a charge of having failed to keep to tho propel- side of the road while driving a vehicle on July 2. Mr. E. J. Fitzgibboh appeared for "defendant, who stated that ho had pulled to tho wrong Side of the road because he had thought that by so doing ho would avoid a collision.