SLIMES ROBBERY.

Gisborne Times, Volume VII, Issue 430, 31 May 1902, Page 3

SLIMES ROBBERY.

.(Per Press Association); THAMES, last night The charge against the young men Cyril Douglas Finn and James Edgar, of breaking into the reduction works of the Waihi Company at Waikino in October, 1900, and stealing therefrom £7OO worth of golden slimes, was before the Police Court to-day. Up to the luncheon adjournment the evidence was not of an important nature, the witnesses detailing the discovery of the robbery, and the steps taken to discover the stolen slimes. Counsel for the prosecution outlined .the caso. He stated that what they held was that accused had removed .the slimes in bags and buried them, and subsequently met another man. The slimes were taken away, and the slimes which accused were found treating at the battery at Tapu were identical with the slimes stolen. Mr Barry, manager of the Waihi Company, stated that he did not know Df a man who was named being employed as a private detective for the company, but said the company offered a.reward of £250 after the robbery was effected. Great interest is taken in the case, and the Courthouse was crowded. Later—The case against Edgar and Finn, for alleged robbery of slimes from the Waihi Company, was continued to a late hour. Evidence was given by the officials of the Waihi Company, police, and residents of Tapu, tracing the steps taken for the detection at the time of the robbery, and tracing tho niQvements up to the ' time of arrest, including the movements after the slimes were brought ■ to Tapu lor treatment. Details were given of the movements, including the meeting at Mackaytown between Finn and Edgar and the third party ; also the movements after leaving the employment of the Waihi Company up to the" time of the arrest. It was stated some bags of slimes were left in Ohinemuri river, .behind the battery, for several days in the hope that the ‘guilty parties’would appropriate them, but the decoy was unsuccessful. Evi'v deuce was given that Finn and Edgar were discovered burning cloths the ; night after the robbery, the assumption being ' that they were destroying itlie-traces of the slime splashes on the ' clothing. The case will be continued and probably be completed to-morrow..