SUPREME COURT.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1993, 26 February 1914, Page 7

SUPREME COURT.

' TRIALS AT PALMERSTON. (By Tokginrh.—Press Association.) ' • Palmcrston ti,, February 25.' At the Supreme Court to-day Arthur James Rankin, a yardman at the Feilding saleyards, was tried oh a charge ■of breaking into the Empire Hotel at .Feilding and tho theft of 41 bottles of beer and stout. It was stated in evidence that, during the night, a man was heard by a boarder breaking into the stororoom and making several trips to the stablo with botties of liquor whicli ho placed in a bin. The boarder, Arthur. Sutton, .aroused the landlord, John Cherry, and while he went for a policeman, Mrs., Cherry peered through the window and. succeeded "in identifying the supposed thief, during several moro trips, as Rankin. She told her husband, who met Bankin in the stablo with the remark: "Are you going to have cheer for Christmas?" Accused, afterwards made a statement to the. police that he had been elsewhere, :nnd had just arrived back when the landlord spoke to ; him, but.'.lie refused to sign this. Accused stated in evidence that, when, passing Empire Street, he noticed a light in the , stablo of the Hotel, and as lie had. oueo looked .after tho . stables,, he entered to inspect, whereupon lie was arrested. Joseph P. Hammond, butcher, of Feildiug and a boarder at tho hotol, confirmed n-state-ment that, accused had arrived from Eyre Street. Tho jury, after fifteen minutes' retirement, found prisoner not •guilty. . Howard Webb' was found guilty of converting money received from tho nalo of a horse owned by Thos. Laurie to his .own use. Prisoner was admitted to probation for 12 months on condition that lie refunded £20, the valueor the horse,' and paid. £8 25., the cost of tho prosecution. .