MISSING LEATHER

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 269, 9 August 1919, Page 6

MISSING LEATHER

SHOPKEEPERS TAKEN INTO CUSTODY. For some months past quantities; of solo and 'heel leathers and various articles used in the process of repairing boots hare boon missing from the factory of Messrs. R. Hannah and Co., Leeds Street. 'All the circumstances pointed to the' existence of a regular system of thieving, and the matter wa.s placed in the-hands of Detective-Sergeant Miison to investigate. J The leathers were all cut and prepared for use by machinery, and a special punch was employed to insert the hules for the nails. It" so happened that one of the parts of the punch was broken, and as a- considerable ga.p was left between certain of the punched holes this fact was of great assistance to (lie detec-tive-sergeant in tracing the missing stock, the shortage of which was somewhat alarming, and amounted to a. : considerable value. ■ _ .',"'; Acting on certain informal ion which came to his ears, Detective-Sergeant Mason, accompanied by Flain-elothes Constable Burnett, raided the shop-of a boot repairer in the.city yesterday morning,' and some hundred* of leathers -were found. As these were identified as the property of Messrs. Hannah and Co., (lie shopkeeper was apprehended on a charge' of receiving stolen goods, well knowing them to have been dishonestly obtained. Later on, n-n employee in' Messrs. Hahnali and Co.'s factory was arrested on an information of being concerned in the theft, of the leathers. In the afternoon, the two officers visited Ilia premises of two other boot repairers, and as. further flJianti'ies of leathers, corresponding to the description of those alleged to have been stolen, were discovered, the proprietors were in each instance take* into custody on charges of having dfshonestly received the eood*. The four persons referred to will be brought before the Magistrate's Court this morning.