MAGISTRATE'S COURT

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 119, 13 February 1919, Page 3

MAGISTRATE'S COURT

THEFT OF GOVERNMENT PROPERTY

EX-SOLDIERS CHARGED.

Tiro t-x-sMen caaied Arthur Jams Ford and Thomas Evans appeared before Mr. \V. G. Eiddell, S.M., at the Magistrate's Court-yesterday to answer a charge of' haviiif stolen a number of articles belonging.to the, New Zealand Government.- of a total value,of i'4s l'Js. 2d. The articles comprised -9 quilts, 2 pairs of braces, 7 shirts, 20 sheets, 2- canvas bass, one overcoat, 873 J'a'-'d* of dainnsk, 07 pairs of socks, and i) towels. Acting Sub-Inspector Emerson conducted the. prosecution, and Mr. H. F. O'Leary appeared for Evans, lord was not represented by counsel. The evidence went to show that in the Defence. Stores at Buckle Street there were two. sets of keys, kept m different cupboards. On the night of-January 18 i'.ome nerson or persons, alleged to have been the accused, obtained keys from the outer cupboard, and opened certain locks, and finding they, could not gain access to a certain portion of the building returned to the office, and took the keys from the case containing the duplicates. After the keys bad been finished with they were returned, but some ot them wero put into the wrong case, l'rom Ibis' it was o.uite evident that someone had tampered with the: keys. , Miiior T. M'Crystall, officer in .charge of the Ordnance and Equipment Moves, stated that lie knew both the accused, who were employed at (he stores as nißhtwatchnien. They were both on duty on January IS and the morning of January 19. ~ „ , Sargeant-major William James l'rost identified the articles produced in court as Government property. Re was present at Evans's house villi Constables M'Coll and Tarrant when a search was made, and seven towels were discovered. Evans had said that the towels were given to him in camp, but as they were too small to take on service he had purchased larger ones!: Witness stated that he also found a damaged towel at Evans's house which had never been issued to the camps. „„.,,. , ~ Constable T. . M'Coll, stationed at Mount Cook, slated that at t.tO a.m. on January 19 ho saw Ford, wearing a.military overcoat and carrying a canvas bag. Witness asked him what it contained and accused said lie was shifting, and that the bag contained clothes. Witness remarked that it was rather early to be shifting,' and took. accused o the police station/where the bag was found to contain quilts and sheets, and other articles and the accused then admitted that 'the contents of the bag had been stolen. Ford also stated that there was another nightwatchman concerned in the theft, but he did not know his name. The other man had gone homo, earlier. When searching Evans's house, Iho latter'denied all. knowledge of the theft. Both accused reserved their defence, and'were committed to the Supreme Court for trial. Bail was allowed m each ease in the'sum of £50 and ono surety of ,£SO.

DIAMOND RING ' THIEF GAOLED. | Myer Myers, who was not represented'; by counsel, denied.a cliargo of having stolen a diamond ring, valued at .CO, the. property of Jeff Johnson. Detective-Sergeant.Cox stated that the 'complainant was. staying at the New Zenlar.der Hotel in' November-lost, ; aiid on the morning of November 20 he went to the bathroom, and left the ring iheVf.. Ho relarned a few minutes later, and found 'that it had disappeared. , I he rin°- was later recovered at a secondhand dealer's,. wJierc,accused had sold it for 255. ; ,'-.■ ■.■-•,• . , The accused gave evidence on lus own behalf, and stated that he had received the ring from a soldier named Kennedy, who desired to sell it. Accused effected the sale on behalf of the soldier at a second-hand dealer's in. Taraunh. Street. He admitted that the police had given I iii'm every opportunity-to find Kennedy, and that' ho had faiicd to discover him. Ho further admitted having, been charg- ; cd with theft on ten previous occasions. f- His Worship entered a conviction, and I sentenced - accused to three months'-im-burisonment. An order was made for Lthe return of the ring to the owner.

THEFT CHARGE DISMISSED. • A plea of not guilty was entered by .1 youth named William Herbert Jones, When charged with theft of a case of condensed milk, valued at ,£l. 125., the property of the Wellington Harbour Board. The evidence of the police was-to ".the effect that the accused, who was-« earner was loading grass-seed on his lorry in "one of the sheds on the wharf on January 21' last, when the cm ot milk was discovered on tlie fore carriage of the lorry. The accused lad denied all 'knowledge of the milk, and stated that hn had seen' a man. named Maddison endeavouring to put a case.of'milk into a sack. •,'.,",' ■W. J. Maddison, who'was also n earner was' called by the prosecution, and admitted that he 'was loading condensed milk 011 his vehicle at the same time that' Jones was loading grass-seed, but denied I hat he. had endeavoured to put a case of milk into a sack. Mr. H. F. O'Lenvy, who appeared for the accused., submitted that his client was absolutely innocent, of any theft, ■and suggested, that he was the victim of (he action of Maddison. ■ ■■ . The accused gave .evidence, and stated that he was. on the top of his load on the lorry when he noticed Maddison endeavouring to put n ease of condensed milk iuto a sack. He told Maddison that he would be getting accused into trouble. Maddison then dropped the case.' but accused could not say. whether ho' put it 011 the ground or on to accused's wagon. , His Worship said that the. only weakness in the defence was that the accused had not' made a full statement at the time lie was questioned. Had he done so he would not hove anpearcd in the court. There was an element of doubt which accused was entitled ,to. The-information woiild be dismissed,, and His Worshin .expressed the hono that accused would be a little.more suspicious when loading, his lorry on the wharf in the future. "The place is not too hfflithy, as you can see," concluded Mr. ttiddeli. •'"•'•'•

OTHER POLICE CASES. William Henry Aspinnll was committed to the Sunreme Court for trial on 1 a charge.of carnally knowing.a girl aged fourteen years.. , , ... , Charles Adams was convicted and ordered to pav medical expenses amounting to £X 18s. Od., os a result 'of using threatening behaviour, on the Queen's "Wharf on February 1. The defendant had been fighting, and sustained injuries' which necessitated medical treatment. . ■■mill For some unknown reason diaries Alfred Ncedharti broke a pare of glass in the Shamrock Hotel, valued at £2. 10s., the. property of Jean Olen. The defendant was fined 205., and ordered to pay the cost of the damage done. For assaulting Peter M'Cabe, a returned soldier; Joseph Kuane, also a returned soldier, was fined 10s. By their disorderly behaviour in Courtcnay Ploco on Tuesday evening GeorRina' Doughty and Maud Charlotte Turner occasioned a breach of the peace. The trouble occurred over a family squabble. Both were convicted, Doughty being fined 20s„ and Turner 40s. A fine of 10s. eacli was imposed on Maud Grant, John Barnard M'Mahon, and Peter M'Cabe, who admitted charges of insobriety.