“POLICE! POLICE!”

Shannon News, 28 August 1923, Page 3

“POLICE! POLICE!”

... THiEFT IN-SHANNON. : .- On Saturday night about 6.30 p.m. the local police ihad their, 'attention drawn by cries of .“poiicep Police h i am being robbed.’’“-.Oh-’ investigating-; they found a man in Ballance street in a drunken state, who accused a Maori of robbing him. On making:enquirtes, Jiow.eyei;;: ‘the to be on . the*'other foot, Tire' Maori' stating that as he was passing the back entrance of the Club Hotel, he had five one pound notes, in his,, hand counting, them, wften "ffie other linan came- up and'grabbed them,'-sayihg he would show him a new trick. At the same time a woman who was nearby attracted his attention, and the man'made off with the money. The Maori folowed. .him. up ■ and,, caught him and was dealing it out-'tO him when the police . arrived. As a result the man, whose name ’is’Arthur W. H. O’Neill, was arrested and charged with the theft of. the money. .. , Yesterday morning he appeared before Messrs Gunning and Spencer, j.’sP., add pleaded not guilty to the charge, electing to be dealt with summarily. , ... . Evidence on the above lines was given supporting the charge. The accused, giving- evidence,,-said fie bad been employed in the cookhouse at Mang.ore camp and* had been discharged and canto into' Shannon that morning with £lO .Os, 4d in his . possession-: -He had bbeii r drinking all day and had shouted for several and at the time-r of-ttie &lle£ed theft he was in a. very drunken state and did not remember what occurred, but l e maintained that he had been robbed himself, and-had poi the. money from, the- Maori.' When' arrested be had £6 6s lOd in his possession. He admitted’ conviction's:, for two similar offeiices and one Qf'. theft, and was. sentenced to six vnionths_’:„,imprison•ment with>hard"idbbdr;' ' On a'charge; of drunkenness he was sentenced to 48 hours’ imprisonment and for breaking a window belonging to Mr T. tames he was ordered to pay the value, 10s.-