Still Running!

Sun (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 48, 19 May 1927, Page 13

Still Running!

REID’S “DEAD CERT.” TWELVE MONTHS FOR THEFT THOMAS Cowland Clarke Reid is a lucky man, if escaping a week’s gaol can be considered lucky. There is a catch in most things of course, and the catch in Reid’s case is that,* instead of doing six months’ imprisonment he will only do five, in addition to the three weeks he has already been in gaol on remand. Reid, on his own admission, is an Inveterate punter, and had a particular “dead cert,” come home he would probably not be spending: the next five months in Mt. Eden. This is what he himself thinks at any rate. An Auckland music firm engaged Reid last July as a caretaker and collector of time-payments. All apparently went well until the morning after Anzac Day, when Reid, who was known to the firm as Thomas Hargraves, did not turn up to work. Then it was discovered that he had collected something over £2B from various people and failed to pay it over to the cashier. Reid was subsequently located in Wellington, arrested, and brought back, and after being three weeks on remand, he appeared in the Police Court this morning on nine charges of theft of amounts varying from £9 down to 10s. “The accused told me that if he had had a few more days liberty he would have had enough to pay back the money,” said Detective White. “He was going to put £l2 on a “dead cert.” —“Which is still going,” added Chief Detective Cummings. “He spent all the money except 27s on betting,” added the Chief Detective. Reid’s luck could not have been altogether against him, for he backed two winners at Wanganui, he said. Mr. Cummings mentioned that Reid was “wanted” on a warrant in Australia, but went on to explain that he was not really wanted there in the accepted meaning of the word. The will only be executed presumably, if Reid ever lands on Australian shores. Referring to his wife, Mr. Cummings said: “He’s keeping another here.” “He had every prospect of paying the money back,” pleaded Mr. Simpson, Reid’s counsel. “He tells you that, but he can’t tell it to me,” said Mr. F. K. Hunt, S.M. “People must understand that they must keep their hands off other people's money. There’s too much of this sort of thing.” “He’s been in three weeks,” said counsel, when conviction seemed certain. “Alright.” replied the Magistrate, iii give him five months’ imprisonment. I was going to give him six!”