A CANDID BURGLAR

Hokitika Guardian, 15 June 1920, Page 3

A CANDID BURGLAR

amAz#ng series of thefts. SEQUEL TO ELOPEMENT FROM WELLINGTON. AUCKLAND, June 9. The story of an elopement from Wellington under anything but promising circumstances tvas told before Mr Wilson. S.M., to-day when a young man of 21 years, Arthur Symons, admitted, having committed half a dozen burglaries in the Newmarket district last month, and one of the witnesses against him was a girl of sixteen who had accompanied him on the trip to Auckland from Wellington. According to the- evidence Symons and the girl left Wellington ' together about seven weeks ago, and stopped at Palmerston North for a week or so before coming on to Auckland. They put up as man and wife at an apartment house in Hobson street, and Symons did no work, but one day early last month he tossed a ‘ roll of sixteen tl notes to the girl and showed her a watch and revolver. She pressed enquiries about where this came from, and be eventually sti\t_ ed that he had stolep thpni from Whittome, and Stevenson’s pickle factory office,. . About 7 o’clock last Friday morning workmen who were early on the job surprised Symons in the office of the npo-Totara Timber Co. at NeWmarket and though lie tried to bluff them Mint bo was one of* the office staff they refused to believe him, and when lie tried to bolt they caught him imd j turned him over to Plain-clothes Constable Knight. Prisoner made a con- [ ‘Vssion that since coming to Auckland lie had done no workout had lived by theft. Going out by night with a hammer in his pocket he had used the tool to break the back windows-or the glnss panels of doors of‘business premises, and so gain, to offices and ran*' sack tills and cashboxes. He stated that lie had entered the offices of C. 13. Laurie, where ho got 15s worth of stamps and 9s lOd in cash; of Whittome and Stevenson’s where he got £l6 in cash; of the Motor Specialties, Ltd .whore his haul consisted of one shilling and 16s worth of stamps; and of Alexander Harvey and Sons, where ■ lie drew a blank. ) Eventually he tried two burglaries in [ one night by returning on Friday to ; Wliittome and Stevenson’s whore he got ? this time only a pair of gloves, a. pair F of silk stockings, and £250 in unnegotiiible paper; and then going on to tho Taupo-Totara Timber Co’s office, where lie got some jewellery and also got caught, ' He further admitted having done four burglaries of offices in Palrfierston North. He stated that when caught he had spent all the cash he had stolen. After evidence had been given of the burglaries and the goods taken and found on accused had been identified ,accused was committed to the Supreme Court .for sentence. He was remanded to appear at Palmerston North on four charges of burglary.