BURGLARY CHARGES

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 191, 8 May 1919, Page 3

BURGLARY CHARGES

ALLEGED THEFT OF MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS COMMITTED FOR TRIAL The preliminary hearing of tho charges against a nativo of tho West Indies named James Arthur Pollard, alias Archie Taylor, was concluded beforo Jfr. F. V. I'razer, S.M., at the Magistrate's Court yesterday. ■ Chief-Detective Boddam prosecuted, and Mr. W. G. Mellish appeared for the defendnnt. The first charge, that of breaking and entering tho shop of Oscar Hull-Brown, nt .No. 137 Vivian Street, and stealing therefrom various musicnl histruments of a total value of =£125, which was partly heard, on Wednesday of last : week, was concluded. William* Laing. recalled, said that Pollard attended a practice of tho Patriotic Society's Band; together with a man whom the accused introduced as D. E. Eobinson, a member of the Napier Band. Hobinson was the person from whom witness purchased two cornets.

Constable James Toclcer said he was on duty in Vivian Street.on the night of April 1, and ho saw tho accused in com'pany with a European coming out of Crawford Street. The men.went down Cuba Street, and on tho following morning witness heard that' Hull-Brown's premises had been broken into.

George Clarence Thompson said he lived at No. 400 Evans Bay Tioad. Tho" nccusod's real name was Archie Taylor, and ho. had on several occasions visited witness's house.■- On the' night of April 1. when witness was in bed, a knock came at the door, and on answering witness heard someone sny it was "Archie." On opening the, door, witness saw i a man whom lie knew as M'Donald. The visitor said that he desired witness to take care of two sacks of goods on behalf of "Archie." Without waiting for a reply, M'Donald thrust the two tags in the doorway and left. There was a motor-' car standing in the roadway. Witness examined the sacks two days later, and, finding they contained musical instruments, concluded that they had been stolen. M'Donald came to his house on April 4at 7 p.m. Witness immediately accused M'Donald, of theft, and told him to take the property away. The goods were subsequently removed by De-tective-Sergeant Andrews. . The accused reserved his defence,'and was committed to the Supremo Court for triaK

The charge of having stolen from the premises of Messrs. Cody and Co., in Courtenay Place, on March 19, a quantity of clothing material, valued ot ,£IBO, was next proceeded with. William Josenh Cody, managing director of Codv and Co., Ltd:, drapers, Courtenav Place, statetl that he locked up the premises on March 19. On opening the shop on the following morning ne found that some of the contents of the shop had" been ransacked. Entrance had been gained through a small window at tho back of the shop, the bars intended to prevent access having been removed. Tho stock stolen was valued at .£IBO. The articles pro-, cluced wore in all respects similar to tho lines stocked by witness, and which were in tho shop prior to the burglary. Six days previous to the theft the acedsed and a white man came into the shop to purchase a pair of gloves.. As far as he knew no other purchase was effected.

To Mr. Mellish: Witness said that it was. very unlikely that'there was any material in Wellington similar to that produced, and" known as imitation Fugi silk. '

Gladys TJrwin, arf assistant emnloyed bv Messrs. Cody and Co., said that, a few days previous to the theft the accused entered the shop together with a white man. Accused asked for a reel of silk and also inquired if witness stocked/piece silk. Witness said "Yes," and showed some, to acetified, who said he required it for his wife. Accused ox : amined some, v and took .some patterns away with'him. remarking that ho would call later. They returned again, but mndo no mention of the silk, simply asking . for a pair' of men's gloves. Both accused and the white man purchased a pair of gloves, 'the accused tendering small money and the whife man tendering a ,£sl miter

William Mitchell, aged ten years, said he lived with his parents on Evans Bay •Road. He knew a coloured man named Archie Taylor, but he did not recognise the accused as the man Taylor. On a date in March last Taylor and a man named M'Donald called at the house, and left, a parcel, which he put away. The Magistrate oross-examined tho boy at someijlength, but witness persisted that the accused was not Archie Taylor.

Elizabeth Mitchell, a widow residing at No. 4GO Evans Bay Hoad, said the aocused was her soh-iu-law. She, knew M'Donald. who was introduced to her by the accused. She found the articles mentioned by her son William (the previous witness) in the chest of drawers on her return home. M'Donald called at her home some three days later, and said that witness could use the material for making shirts with. Detective-Sergeant Arthur Edward Andrews said that on April -5, in company with Plain-clothes Constable Black,.-he searched the house of the accused known as No. 5 Alpha Street. No stolen property was discovered. At 11 o'clock on the same days they searched No. 4GO Evans Bay Road,... and found there two pieces of Fugi silk, a blue silk scarf, and four pairs of stockings. On April 23 witness charged accused with the theft, and.showed him the recovored property. The accused said "I don't know anything about it. Is that all you have got?" Witness told was all that had been recovered, and accused said: "Well, Tam not saying anything. I was in Cody's once to buy a collar for my wife. That's all."

The accused reserved his defence, and was committed to the Supreme Court for trial. .

Bail was allowed in the sum of .£75 on each charge, with a like surety,