PRECIOUS NECKLET

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 416, 26 July 1928, Page 1

PRECIOUS NECKLET

Business Man Sent for Trial

FOUND £990 PEARLS ON RACECOURSE

A STRING of pearls valued at £990 was an exhibit at the Police Court this morning, when Michael Maher was committed to the Supreme Court for trial oh a charge of theft. Maher pleaded not guilty.

A married woman residing at Remuera said that she had worn her pearls to the races at Blierslie on June 4. On her arrival home she discovered she had lost them, and inserted the following advertisement in an Auckland newspaper: “Lost — Pearl necklace, at Ellerslie racecourse: good reward. —Apply Phone .” Subsequently she had advertised again several times, and received replies by phone, but in no case did the description offered fit her pearls. Witness, in conclusion, stated that she had paid £990 for the pearls in Sydney. A domestic in the employ of the previous witness said that two days after the loss of the pearls, when her mistress was out, she had received a ’phone call from a man who said that he had posted the pearls. When asked for his name and address, the man said they were enclosed in the parcel he had posted. “Maher brought the pearls to me, and asked if they were genuine,” said the next witness, Richard James Derrom, a jeweller employed by W. H. Worrall, of Victoria Arcade. “I said they were valuable, and estimated them to be worth £2OO or £300.” Cross-examined by Mr. Moody, who appeared for Maher, witness admitted that when asked what he considered would be a good reward for them, he had suggested £ 10. Detective Hunt told the story of an Interview he had with Maher on June 25, when the finding of the pearls was admitted. Maher had taken him to his house, and handed the lost string over. “T'here was some difficulty over advertising the reward,” said the de-

tective, under cross-examination, "as any lax-ge sum would have disclosed the value of the pearls. Accused has a good reputation in the city. In a statement made to the police, Maher admitted finding the pearls at Ellerslie on June 4. He had dropped them in his pocket, and forgotten them until a couple of days later, when an advertisement in the paper had revived his memory. He rang up the phone number mentioned, and was told that the person who had lost the pearls was out, and that unless the pearls he had found were good ones, with a diamond clasp, it was not worth while coming to the house, as dozens of people had already called or sent out strings of pearls which were nothing like the ones lost. “Not knowing the value of the pearls, I did not think any more of them until I saw a further advertisement,” concluded Maher. "I would have returned them when a larger reward was offered.” “I submit that, except for the high value of the pearls, there is no reason why this case should be sent on for trial,” said Mr. Moody. “There is no doubt that Maher found them, and held them for a reward—hope long deferred makes the heart grow sick.” Mr. W. R. McKean, S.M.: Well, it certainly did in this case.

“There was no intention to convert the pearls to his own use,” continued counsel. “On the law, there can be no doubt whether or not he intended to deprive tile owner.” Mr. McKean: It is not my duty to determine whether the man was dishonest or not. If I did so, I should be usurping the functions of a jury. An appeal for suppression of the name was not granted.