Stole For Babies' Sake

NZ Truth, Issue 1238, 22 August 1929, Page 4

Stole For Babies' Sake

(From ' ' N.Z. Truth s Special Christchurch. Representative) . A'' MOST pathetic story of the jove of a mother for her children was . told m the Christchurch Magistrate's Court a few days ago when a woman was -charged with the' theft of a push-cart and a blanket.' The woman, was the mother of four, young children, the youngest of whom were twin babies, six weeks old, and she was m very poor circumstances. She had taken one of her babies — the other was m the Karitane Home— to the Plunket Society's rooms, and on two different occasions had stolen the articles. The. secretary of the Society for the Protection of Women and • Children, Miss E. Cardale, said: "She is a hard-working woman, and a /splendid mother,- but she has- had a very hard. time.. When 'she came out of the Plunket Society's Rooms her baby was suffering from the cold and the r 'woman, who was weak from ill-healthy stole the blanket and pushcart.' Her husband, is of little use to her, and is addicted to drink.": , ' "This is not an ordinary case of theft for one's own advantage," said Mr. Young. "The woman has been a good wife and mother, and has evidently had' to put up with a good deal from hen husband. He ' wastes more money on his own pleasures than he spends on his wife and, children. "She was thinking of her children without realising her own , offence' and took the articles- for the. comfort of her children." On the charge of stealing the push-cart the woman was convicted and placed on probation for' 12 months, and on the other charge she was convicteu 1 and discharged. Her name was suppressed. rtiini tititiiiinriMiiiiiiitiiit iiiiiiiiiii titiini if iiui itiiiii ii ttiii irtiiti ii iiiiiii itiriii ii ititi ii iiim ii ii tii ii ri iii mti it irittii ii riiit iriii ii iiiii ii ii un ni ji miiiii mii ti imiimiim

Duffy and accused him of;, taking the money; but he denied the offence, expectorated m her face, and- made a bolt for the door where he was stopped until the police arrived. Duffy later appeared before Mr. H. W. Bundle, S.M., m the Dunedin Police Court charged with the theft of £ 1/1/4, and with assault. Miss Duncan gave her evidence on the. lines indicated; and a. lengthy cross-examination by Mr. C. J. L. . White' failed to shake her. Mr. -White:. Why did you leave *■■ the table? Miss Duncan: Because Cody threw the egg flip all over my face and dress and I could not sit there. He was drunk and was' pestering me for a, dance. Well, why did you leave your purse on the table?— l always do. Then you are very trusting? — Yes, I am. - But, do you mean to say you sat m public with that egg flip over you? — Not all the time. I went downstairs and walked' m the street for a few minutes. Was that to let the egg flip slip off your face? The Magistrate: Did you take it off your, face? Miss Duncan intimated that that is what she did do. Mr. White: Cody was near that purse, too, and It was he who was causing all the trouble? Miss Duncan: Tes, that is so. Did you have anything to drink ? — No, I did not. The Magistrate: Why did you leave the table? Miss Duncan: Because they were "narking" me, and I had. already given Cody a "knock ■back." , Mr. White: Is it not a fact that you have been on various boats with Cody?. "That is .going too far/ Interrupted the senior-sergeant. "First ;■ he. asks her if she took -liquor and now this." The objection was upheld, the Magistrate remarking that the questions were not fair. Mr. White pointed out that he had definite information to go on, and followed this up by asking ' Miss Duncan whether she were not .... m the;habit of going on : boats. Miss Duncan refused to answer the question. It was known to Miss. Duncan that Duffy had accused Cody of taking the money, but ; she told the police that Duffy, was 'the only one: she had seen interfering with her bag/ The. evidence of 'waitresses was to

loudly. If he did expectorate m her face, he did not remember doing so. The reason he made for the door was because he saw Cody and he wanted to tell him to give hack the money; it was not his intention to run away as he had not committed any wrong. Duffy admitted that he had been once convicted for theft while he was drunk, and that he may have been excited on that night because he was a returned soldier and suffered from shell-shock. The Magistrate said he was of the opinion that the abstraction of the money could have been made by Cody just as well as by Duffy, and the former was a convicted thief. In all the circumstances he would not convict Duffy on the theft charge, and that would be dismissed, but so far as the assault was concerned that was a different matter. "It was a most disgraceful and detestable thing to do," said Mr. Bundle, i "and you Avill be fined £2 and costs £3, m default seven days' imprisonment, half the fine to go to Miss Dunsan," added the Magistrate.