Innocent Man Imprisoned

Hokitika Guardian, 27 July 1921, Page 4

Innocent Man Imprisoned

REMARKABLE SYDNEY CASE

SYDNEY, July 12. Early in June, a good-looking, thickset young man named Roy Frost, was convicted of having stolen £346 from the residence ol Reg. Cation, a wedknown bookmaker. Ho vigorously protested his innocence, and set up an alibi, hut the jury convicted, and lie was sent to Long Bay for 18 months. Hu had been keeping bad company, and his identification as the thief seemed complete.

Young, a' sister-in-law oi A. Cat ton, was alone in the latter’s house, on the evening of April 30tli. last. She was suddenly accosted by two men, who had silently entered the house. One covered her with a revolver, while the other went straight to the fireplace, and from a receptacle in the back, he took 0346 in notes. This was where the bookmaker kept bis “bag when he was unable to get into the city to lock it up. The two men then i uslied from the house and into a motor-car, the engine of which was run. nine and they got clear away. Catton offered a reward of £IOO for the detection of the culprits.

Frost was arrested and was positively identified by Miss Young as one of the two men. She also identified another man as his companion—but as lu turned out to be a well-known Kensington hairdresser, who had acted a s mas ter of ceremonies at a dance during the whole of the evening in question he was not convicted.

| Then came the curious sequel. Frost i had been n couple of weeks in gaol. | when a short, dark man, resembling | him in appearance went to a subur- : ban police station and told the police i that he was the man who stole the ! money. The |>olioe refused to holier him. But lie persisted. He detailed the events of the night, and he gave ; the police the name and address of hi ! mate and of the chauffeur who is “in 'on the job.” The little man was car fronted with Mr Catton and M' ! Young. They. also, did not want to bo* . liove him;: but lie seemed to know j so much about the matter and he conj tradicted Miss Young so flatly m regard to certain details of the night’s | happening and in which he'forced her 'to admit she was wrong that lie enni vinced the police. The three men wore j taken into custody. | The little man told Miss Young she | was wrong when she said the burglars ! showed their faces. Their faces, he de- ! dared were wrapped on khaki hamlkerI chiefs and mufflers and were never j uncovered. Miss Young then become n little shaky on the point. The lit- | tie man indicated that lie could not j bear flic thought of an innocent man

suffering for tljeir crime. ff no one had been convicted, neither he not his mates would have confessed.

Frost was thereupon released on bail pending an appeal against his conviction. There was a pathetic scene when his mother learned of the new dovolonincnt. She had Keen certain of his innocence and line! been visiting him cver v day in gaol.