PLUCKY GIRL

Hokitika Guardian, 14 August 1933, Page 3

PLUCKY GIRL

gives chase to jewel thief

FORCED TO DISGORGE GOODS

LONDON, July 31. Arrested through the pluck and .presence of mind of a 17,year-old ' office girl, Leonard Austin, aged 38, described as a buyer, of East Ham, London, was sent to prison for 12 months by the Clerkenwell magistrate, for three cases ,of stealing jewellery., Five other cqses were taken into consideration. . A detective stated that £126 -was in volved in trie .othpr cases the earliest

of which was in March.'Austin went to- a jeweller’s- showroom and saw a

girl assistant, Miss . Ada . Allnutt. Ho produced a card .and said he represented a firm and (wanted .to place an .order. He wag-shown articles of jewellery., The girl had to go to t-he telepjhqne, and when she \retumed she found that .some of the articles wero missing.

“The girl refused to leave the office and told Austin to put back what he had taken,” the officer proceeded. “He took some of the jewellery out’ of his pocket, put it on the counter, and ran out into the street. The girl chased him, and he was arrested by a police constable. When he was taken back he produced further articles from lrs jacket pocket.” The detective added that the method adopted in the other cases had been the same.

Defending counsel stated that Austin, had been employed as a traveller and owned ;a motor-car. He was willing to make restitution.

The detective pointed out that only the jewellery in the first charge' had •been /recovered. Austin had given no information respecting the rest. fin amazing story,” re r ( marked the magistrate. “You haven’t volunteered any help, and I don’t quite know what it means, but I think it is about time you sat down to think.” j