A CHARWOMAN’S THEFT

Hokitika Guardian, 17 November 1925, Page 2

A CHARWOMAN’S THEFT

HUNDREDS OF ARTICLES. [IIV TELECHAPH —PER PRESS ASSOCIATION.J INVERCARGILL, November 10. Following on surprising discoveries in a house in Esk Street, Invercargill, recently, a woman named Annie Elizabeth Scott, alias Allen, yesterday appeared in the Alagistrnte’s Court to answer twenty charges of a serious nature. She was accused of the theft of hundreds of articles, some of them rare and valuable, including 128 handkerchiefs, 78 pairs of gloves, jewellery, scores of tulip bulbs, men’s overcoats, shoes, blouses, women’s underclothing, and dog collars.

She was also charged with being a rogue and a vagabond. Senior Sergeant Seaudrett. prosecuting, said that a constable had observed the woman at 12.50 o’clock one morning in a flower garden, lie shadowed her. and when he questioned her, she suddenly took off her boots, and set off down the road. He captured her after a chase, and conducted her to the Police Station. Here she could not give a satisfactory account of herself, and further inquiries were made, which resulted in the constable searching her bouse. Evidence of identification of many of the articles was given by a nurnlier of persons. .Most of the articles, it was stated, had been left in the Town Hall and the Theatre, where the accused woman was employed as charwoman. Giving evidence, the woman said that she had !>ecii working as charwoman at the Town Hall for thirteen years, and had found many of the articles after dances and similar functions. She thought most of the articles had been abandoned. She also stated that she had €-100 in the bank, and was saving up in order to get home to A ustialia.

"Really,” remarked the -Magistrate (Air G. C’ruickshnnk), “ she ought to get seven years’ imprisonment, but there is no reason why she should not be heavily fined.”

She as lined a total of £SO. with £2(> 00s '.costs am! witnesses’ expenses. On the charge of being deemed a rogue and vagabond, she was convicted and ordered to come up for sentence but not to be called upon if she left New Zealand by January 21.