THEFTS FROM A WAREHOUSE

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2835, 28 July 1916, Page 7

THEFTS FROM A WAREHOUSE

PATENT MEDICINES AT BARGAIN PRICES STOREMAN'S CONFESSION

For some months previous to the middle of Juno of this year considorablo quantities of patent medicines disappeared from Messrs. Sharland and Co.'s warehouse, Dixon Street, Detective.' Mason cast his net, and arrested a youthful storemaii named Jas. Henry Bray, on charges of theft. Bray made a confession, which implicated many others, and the whole story was unravelled before Mr. D. G. A. Cooper, S.M., at tho Magistrate's Court yesterday, when J. H. Bray, aged 23, was charged .with having on divers dates, betwen October 4, 1915, and June 14, 191G, stolen patent medicines to the value of ,£IGI 16s. 6d., belonging to Messrs. Sharland and Co. Chief Detectivo Boddain conducted the. prosecution, and Mr. P. J. O'Regan appeared for accused, who ontered a, plea of guilty. Discrepancies Noticed. Walter Fair Larkin, manager for Sharland and Co., Ltd., Dixon Street, said that the company's stocktaking was made up to February 28 this year. Ho had a check made upon the patent medicines at that time, and he found certain discrepancies that could not bo accounted for as between the stock of various medicines and the stock sheets, including many of the articles in Court, which he recognised as the property of tho company. These patent medicines had dis. appeared in larger quantities during tho three months, from February to June, than during tho previous twelve months. The value of the goods disappearing in the three months referred to exceeded .£350; and the value of tho goods in the present charge against Bjray was about oCICi. Tho value of goods still unaccounted for exceeded £200.

Mr. O'Regan submitted that any fur. ther deficiency of goods beyond those mentioned in the charge to which his client had pleaded guilty was not evidence, and was irrelevant to this charge. The Magistrate upheld the- contention. Continuing his evidence, Mr. Larkin said that accused had been sboroman for some nine months. He had charge, of the goods in the bulk store. Where the Goods Were Sent, William John Barker, a carter for the Wellington Box Company, said that about three months ago ho was at Sharland and Co.'s storo and received two or three packages from accused with his orders to take them to Cambridge Terrace to a man named Morris. Subsequently the accused gave him four or five cases with instructions to take them to Morris's also. '

John, Sprowle, a carrier, and Thomas Henry Watson, gave similar evidence. Michael Mason, a detectivo, said that he brought accused to the police station on July 8, and showed him all the goods in the court save a packago 6ince recovered from I'almerston North, valued at about JGIS. Accused made a 'Statement of confession which ho signed. It covered practically all the gcods mentioned in the charge, and the dates extended from November 8 of last year, when a stick of elmvimr soap was the first theft, till'about tho middle of,last June, when several cases of goods were, he confessed, sent to Morris's. Ho subsequently ar. rested the man Morris, and took posses, sion of a small quantity of sand soup from his shop.

Tho Magistrate committed tho accused to the Supremo Court to bo tried on August 7, and granted bail in one surety of .£74.

Alleged Receiving of Stolen Goods. James Connor was charged wtih receiving quantities of patent medicines and other goods, valued at .£6l lis. Gd., tho property of Sharland. and C 0.,. knowing the same to hnvo been stolen. AVm. Hamilton Boyd, a grocer at H;itaitai," said'that on June 9 lost accusod called at his shop and asked him to buy sonio patent medicines, either consigned stock •or selling on commission. Tho goods wore remarkably cheap, and witness having a slight suspicion that everything was not right, asked where ho could find accused if ho wanted moro goods. , Accused gavo him tho telephono number 851, which was 'the Working, men's Club. Tho goods were from 10 to 20 per cent, below wholesale prices, and witness ordered .821 worth. The order was "delivered within two days—varjous patent medicines, packed in kerosene cases. Syrup of figs was short sent. r Tho goods wero delivered on a. Friday night, and accused callod for the money on the.following Monday, giving an invoice with the name "J. M'Gowan." Witness did not pay, and gavo no.more orders. Accused called upon him again on Juno 1-4, when Detective Mason was present. Then accused delivered part of the original order, and had a parcel of Mollin's. Food with him'also. Accused told the'detectivo that he pot tho-goods in payment of a betting transaction, and gave tho name of a man named Hill, but his answers wore unsatisfactory, and Defective Mason said so, and asked accused to go to tho police station. 'Witness wicognised the goods in Court as.those ordered and delivered to him, and forming part of tho charge against accused. Cyril vpuul Macfarlane, a Seatoun, and Arthur John' EdwirSs, grocer, of Tory Street, and. William Richard Pickett, a grocer at Brooklyn, gave similar evidence. '■. Tho accused pleaded not guilty, and was committed for trial at the Supreme Court, Wellington, sitting on August 7 next, bail being allowed in ouo surety of Another Cass of Receiving. Edward . Hellawell, 32 . years, a grocer of. Courtenay Place, was charged with receiving patent medicines to tho value of -£H3 7s. 9d. between August 12, 1915, and june 15, 1916, knowing them to have been stolen. Mr. P. AV. Jackson, for Mr. T. M. Wilford, appeared for the acciised, Wiio would enter a plea of not guilty. William Hamilton Boyd, grocer, oi Sataitai, ■ Cyril Paul Macfarlane, of Seatoun, Arthur John Edwards, of Tory Street. William Richard Pickett, of Brooklyn, testified to having purchased goods from James Connor, the. accused in the previous cose. After further evidence'had been called, the Court adjourned till Tuesday' nexf, bail being allowed, accusod in one surety of .£IOO.