SHOPLIFTING

Hokitika Guardian, 20 February 1932, Page 2

SHOPLIFTING

GIIIL DIVES TO DEATH. ASHAMED OF HER CRIME. SYDNEY, February 12. Because she was ashamed of her part in a sin ylii ting escapade, a young Melbourne girl threw herself from the window of an eight-storey office at the week-end and committed suicide. The victim was Margaret Kirkham, aged 19, a typist, who lived in Marino Street, Brighton, with her (parents. She was of a respectable family who were comfortably off financialy. Yet at various times during the past six months, it was esablished, she had engaged in extensive shoplifting raids on various hig firing in Melbourne. Last week she was detected and arrested, and faced a charge of shoplifting at the Melbourne City Cotfrt, She kept kicr arrest ' secret from her family, and was bailed out by a friend. She appeared at the ‘Court on Thursday last in company with several other girls, and was lined £ls. The fiiend who had secured bail ■for her paid the fine, but the case was reported in the newspapers. The girl did not return home on Thursday night. It is 'believed that she secreted herself'in the Nicholas Building, a ten-storey structure facing Flinders 'Lane, Melbourne. At 4 a.rn. on Friday a constable on patrol duty found the crushed body of the gill Oil the footpath. Further investigations showed that . the girl had attended a cabaret dance held on tlio eighth floor of the building PH night, and it is thought

that she hid herself before the dance closed and then dived from the window. It was some hours before the body wais and Alien oityy by aitides of jewellery and clothing were relatives able to establish her name.