Drapery Stolen.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXX, Issue 21, 11 September 1914, Page 6

Drapery Stolen.

A BROADWAY FIRM. j 1 ACCUSED PLEADS GUILTY. \iv- '■■■[' ' ;./ ' ',';,: ~<, , I Henry Barrington was charged a|> the 'Court this, morning tha,t h> did. pn, or about' t sth, break and enter the premises . of. '. Messrs W. Morey and Son a^d f , f eteal ladies' clothing .to.,the, value 0f,'£19.185.,.,•«

John M. Kerby, Stratford manager for Morey and Son, said he had examined the clothing produced in Court and identified it as the firm's property. He identified it by having goods of similar make and material in stock, by the firm's private price mark and by the firm's name being printed on a number of articles. Witness knew accused by sight. None of the articles produced were sold to accused out of the shop. The front door of the premises in Broadway had two locks and tho back door had a lock and a bolt. There were two windows facing the railway station. Nobody in the firm's employ could remember a door or window being found open in the morning. Witness always locked up the shop at night, except when he was out of town. About August sth he was in town and all the doors and windows were properly closed. ' A black underskirt was'looked for and found missing between July 25th and 30th. He could not be sure of the exact date, but was sure the article had been missed. Essie O'Toole, milliner for Morey and Son, gave evidence that, she had examined the articles produced and could identify some of the articles as being the firm's property—a black underskirt and a lady's costume. She remembered the underskirt because she had intended to buy it herself, but when she went to got it she could not find it. That was about the end of July. She was sure tho underskirt was not sold out of tho shop. Witness did not know accused—she had never seen him before.

Constable McCowan gave evidence that as a consequence of information he had received he visited the board-ing-house where accused lived. He went and examined two parcels and found that certain of the articles had privato marks and the name of Morey and Son was printed on an Overcoat. On Tuesday, September Bth, witness got Mr Kerby to examine the goods and he identified them as the property of Morey and Son. On September 10th, witness saw accused and accompanied him to his bedroom. He asked accused what the parcels contained and he said it was some underclothing he was sending to his wife in the Old Country. Accused freely offered to open the parcels. They were opened up and witness drew attention to Morey's name on the goods and said they wore stolen goods. Witness asked accus-

cd how he cam© to be in possession of the goods, but Sergeant McNeely, who was also present, said accused •need not speak unless he wished. After remaining silent for a few minutes, accused said: "I might just as well tell you the truth... I got them from Morey's shop. 1 got in through a back window, and made up the parcels." After another silence accused said: "To be candid, my wife has been pressing me for money and I thought that if I could get a few things it might please her in place of' the money." Accused was then arrested.

Sergeant McNeely said that on the previous ' evening (the 10th), he accompanied Constable McCowan to accused's bedroom at the Melrose boardinghouse. He corroborated the evidence given by the constable. Accused pleaded guilty. He said it was his first offence, for which ho was very sorry. He had to support his wife and child in the Old Country. Accused was committed to the Supreme Court for sentence.