CASE OF CONSTABLE REMMERS.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1667, 6 February 1913, Page 5

CASE OF CONSTABLE REMMERS.

I SEVEN CHARGES. COMPLETE CONFESSION MADE. | — ; I HIS MOTIVE. {'• ' . | TO KEEP MOTHER AND SISTER. | Ones again the Magistrate's Court was--5 crowded, when ex-Constablo Chnrle3 Alfred | Eemmers reappeared yesterday. When | he was charjjcd on Friday last he looked ij dejected and haggard. Yesterday he ap- | : peared ohebrful, spoke firmly, and showed S an inclination to favour the gathering S ' with a smilo on slight provocation. Nature of the Seven Charges, |j Eemmers was charged with: ! . (1) Having, between January i and ? 21, stolen ono gentleman's cap, | . four fancy undor-vests, four shirts, | eight ' linen handkerchiefs, six pairs I' of . socks,' three silk mufflers, twentyj-' one silk handkerchiefs, five silk collars, ; _■ seventeen assorted ties, four elastic arm- '.. lets, and one suede elastic belt,'of the total value of .£l6 Gs. 5d., the property of ' '.'Alexander Henderson Wallace. '.' ■; (2) Having, on January-1, stolen onegentleman's gold, wrist watch, valued at j25 55., the property of Cyril Edward I'arkes. (3) Having, between January 4 and 24, stolen five'soft shirts, one tie, and one silk handkerchief, valued at £2 195,, belonging to Herbert Henry Price. , i (4) Having, on or about January 22, broken and entered the shop of . Samuel George Eoss, in Lambton Quay, by night, and stolen 20 gold bangles, 11 gold wedding rings,' one silver card-case, 26 gold brooches, two lady's gold watches, 18 gold signet rings, nine gold pendants, _ two pairs of gold sleeve-links, 26 gold tie-pins, and one .pair of'gold earrings, of/ the total value of about .£l4O. (5) Having, on'or about January 4,' stolen one gentleman's felt hat, valued at 305., belonging to Alexander Henderson Wallace. - (6) Having, between December 6 and January-6, stolen two pipes in cases, six safety-razor blades, two tobacco pouches, three cigarette-holders in cases, one cigarette case,; six packets of- cigarettes, one bundle, of Swiss cigars, and one box of ' 'cigars, of the total value -of £G 3s. 9d., : 'the property, of 'Leonard Sowman. ' • (7) Having, between December 26 and January 6, stolen 6ix take-knives, six dessert-knives,- six tablespoons, six tea- ; spoons, and six table-forks, of the value of ) , XI Is. 9d., the property of Spencer George . Itodford. , • . - .- The • charge of breaking and entering Boss's jewellery, establishment ' on the' Quay was taken,first; • . ' ' ■ '<' , The Burgling'of Ross's. , , Amy. Gertrude Eoss, shop,assistant in the employ of Samuel G. Eoss, jeweller, Lambton Quay, was the first witness call- : ed. She stated that, when she locked up ,on Tuesday, January 21, everything was "all -rig-lit. There was a largo stock of jewellery in the 1 shop window, and - the v window was lighted: She went' to tho shop - at about 9.15 next morning, "and found. - that the window had been broken; and on "1 making a search became aware that the articles enumerated in the .information wero missing. Subsequently she .saw .the articlos at, the: detective office. iThey-fwere; worth about .£l4O. • . ■ Treasure-Laden 'Overcoat. • '■ ' Mary' Ledger, who keeps a", boarding- - house at 42 Boulcott Street, deposed that

. Eemmers had been in the habit of visiting her houso; Ho had gone there seven or eight-times in the Inst six weeks. On Anniversary Day, January 22, ho called at her place twice in the forenoon. On the 6econd occasion ho asked if ho could leave his overcoat there. She said: "Hang it up." He said that he would take it up to the room of Alfred Jackson, a boarder, and he did so. On January 29 she noticed tho coat neatly folded on a shelf in Jackson's room'. She called George Ward, another boarder, and in his presence searched the coat, in a pocket of which she found a number, of articles of jewellery wrapped in silk handkerchiefs. The Confession of Remmers. Detective Andrews said that tho jewellery received from Mrs. Ledger had been identified by Eoss n's his property. When, < witness charged Eemmers with the offence ■ on Jnnuary 2D, Eemmers made no reply. On January 31 Eemmers told him that ho intended to plead guilty to the charge. Eemmers then made tho following statement:— ■ i "I went, on duty at 8.45 p.m. on the night of- Tuesday, January 21. At about 3 o'clock on the morning of Wednesday, January '22, I went to Boss's jewellery shop; in Lambton Quay, and broko the window and tooktherefrom the articles mentioned in the charge. As I took them, I put them in ray uniform overcoat, and carried them about with me, and brought .them into the station with me when I came off duty at 5 a.m. on January 22, 1913. Later that day I transferred them to my ordin- I ary overcoat, and took the overcoat to Mrs. Ledger's, and . left it there. Before putting the jewellery into the overcoat I d'id it up in four white • silk handkerchiefs. The overcoat produced is the one in which I placed tho jewellery and which I left at Mrs.' ; Ledger's. I committed this offence single-handed. I did it on the spur of the moment, because I owed some , money to my sister in England, and ■ had promised to bring 'her and my mother out here to live. ... I say i again that no one assisted me in this I offence." Continuing his evidence, Dotectivo Andrews said that at the time of the occurrence Eemmers was on night duty, ' : and one end of his beat was within about 50 ■ yards of Boss's shop. In addition to the jewellery found in the overcoat, two , dozen pins had been recovered from a cardboard box which had been found floating in the harbour on January 22. All' the property stolen -from Eoss's had been recovered. Asked if ho had anything to say, Eemmers replied: "No."The Clerk:-Do you plead guilty or not guilty? ■ '\ Eemihers: Guilty.. On this charge Eemmers was commit- ' ted to tho Supremo Court for sentence. : The Other Six Charges. 1 i The other six charges were then taken together. < Alexander Henderson Wallace, meroer, 3 Willis Street, identified the grey silk hat produced in Court as his property. \ Eemmers was asked if he wished to ques- , tion the .witness. _ > Eemmers: You have three shillings of ( mine?' ' ; .( Wallace: Yes. ' i , ;. j i Eemmers: Do you intend to refund itr , Wallace: The goods you bought are ( waiting there. We will forward them to , . yon. • - Herbert Henry Price, mercer, Willis < Street, formally identified tho goods which , were described as his. He said that they ( had been stolen within the last month. < Leonard Sowman.' hairdresser and to-, j bacconist, Willis Street, went into tho ' witness-box t and deposed' that the _ eoods produced in Court and mentioned in ono 1 of tho chnrges, ivero his. He had missed c them during the last month. • j Horace Collett. head shopman in the ~ furratur6 : shop of Spencer Georfre Eadford, in Willis Street,-identified tho cut- a ' lery produced in Court as the property j. of his employer. The goods had been s stolen within the lost four weeks, he said. s ■ ! p! i . r ; 'AHdther'" Confession—A'Tale -about- Un- i locked Doors. Detective Mason pavn evidence to tho effect that ho-searched Eemmers's room • and . found . practically the wholo of tho stolen mercery, and cutlery , there. £

Eemmers -had niado the following statement:— ■"I, Charles Alfred Eemmers, wish to make n statement now of my own free will so ns to raako tho matter clear and prevent the' calling of certain wit-, ncsses if possible. I intend to plead guilty to tho charge of stealing a hat . valued at 305., tho property; of Wallace and Gibson. I stole it one Saturday night when I was on night duty. I i'ound tho door open and I went in and stole tho hat and locked tho door again when leaving. I did not report finding, tho door open. I intend to plead guilbv of stealing goods to tho value of i : G Cs. sd„ the property of Wnllaco and Gibson. I stole tho goods when on one term of night duty about , six jvceks ago. I did not steal them • all on the 0110 night. The door could be opened by giving it a hard push, which I would do and then go in and take several articles. . I intend to plead guilty, also, to tho charge of stealing goods to tho value of £2 195., the property of Herbert Henry Price. I stole tho goods while on night duty on that beat. I found tho door open that night and stole fee goods. I did not report finding tho door open. I also" intend to plead guilty to the charge of stealing a, gold wrist watch,, tho property of Cyril Edward Parkes, valued at ,£5 55.. I was speaking'to liini one morning at tho Duke of Edinburgh Hotel and noticed tho watch on tho counter and stole it, and later gave it to a girl. I also intend to plead guilty to a charge of stealing . goods . . . from a tobacconist's shop opposite Smart's pawn shop. I don't know tILO name of the shop., I stole the goods while on night duty about five weeks/ago. I found the door open one night' and went in and stole the goods mentioned and when leaving closed the door ns it had a spring lock" Ho also admitted in the statement tho charge'of theft from Badford's shop. He said that he found, the door of the place open one night. To all these charges Eemmers formally pleaded guilty, and he was committed tx> the Supreme Court for sentence. Bail was not requested.