AN IMPUDENT THIEF

New Zealand Times, Volume XLVI, Issue 10608, 5 June 1920, Page 7

AN IMPUDENT THIEF

FOUND 1 IN LADY'S BEDROOM.

TMtEE .MONTHS' IMPRISONMENT

Alfred Phillips, who described himself as. a, fireman, pleaded not guilty, to stealing two portnianeaux and eon-' tents, valued at £l9. the property of May Pearse, >vhi'n charged before Mr W. G. Riddell. S.M., .in the Magistrate's- Court yesterday. • v,: May 'Pears© stated that she resided with her husband at the Hotel Cecil, : and occupied room 31. On the after- ; noon of May 26th*witness had occasion to go to her room. The door was olosed, and she was surprised to ihid" twomen in a corner of theroam bend-' insr over a portmanteau. Witness went ,; out, closed the door, and screamed for : assistance. The men came out of,the ■'■; room and rushed down the passage. A porter secured the defendant, but the. other man got away. The articles,, which were being packed into the portmanteaufi had been taken, from tome drawers. , ~ , , 'i William Hex, porter, stated that, he ; heard a woman scream, and on going in tho dii<eotion of the sound saw two men running along a passage. Witness caught the accused and detained him till the police arrived. . Detective Black said that the defendant made a statement to him -which was to the effect that ho went to tho Hotel Cecil with two friends to see another who was staying there, and who, it was started, bad liquor. ihey could not find the person they were in search,.of, although they looked in eev- . - eral rooms. Hearing' a woman scream he went to her assistance and was de-. tainect by the porter. ' , The accused was convicted and. sentenced to three months' imprisonment. y