PAIR OF ROGUES

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 782, 1 October 1929, Page 11

PAIR OF ROGUES

QUITE AT HOME IN EMPTY HOUSE SIX MONTHS GAOL EACH Convicted at the Police Court this morning on charges of being rogues and vagabonds, Arthur David Thomas and Thomas Pawson were each sentenced to six months’ imprisonment. The men had been living in an empty house in Vincent Street which was recently destroyed by fire.

Thomas, a labourer, aged 27, and Pawson, a ship’s fireman, aged 23, were charged with being idle and disorderly, having insufficient lawful means of support; being rogues and vagabonds, being found without excuse on the enclosed premises of William Edward Hackett at 64 Vincent Street, and stealing a suitcase and clothing valued at £2, the property of W. E. Hackett. They pleaded not guilty to all charges, except that Thomas admitted stealing the suitcase. “I stole the suitcase, hut this man was not with me when I did it,” he said. Chief-Detective Hammond said that the men had been sleeping in the house, which was partly destroyed by fire on September 21. Some of the owner’s property was missing and clothing belonging to Pawson had been found in one room. A visit he had made to the house shortly' before the date of the fire was described by Sergeant Culloty. He and a constable * had gone round to the back door about 12.45 a.m. They got in, but tile two men had left by the front door and were well up the street. One of the rooms had obviously been slept in and was in a filthy state. There were beer bottles strewn all over the place. A statement made by Thomas was produced by_ Constable Dunne, who said that he ’had found the man with the suitcase when he was making inquiries about the fire. In the statement Thomas said that he had arrived in Auckland about four months ago. He had been unable to get much work and had been sleeping in Quay Street shelters and the house entered by a window .at the back. Another man, whom he had known as “Tom,” was also sleeping there and could be found any time at the foot of Queen Street. After being disturbed by the police neither man had been back to the house. They knew nothing of the fire. The constable also produced a statement made by Pawson, who said that he had met “Flash” Thomas at a Pitt Street boardinghouse, where both men had been earning their keep by working in the kitchen. Thomas had had words with the landlady, so both had left and had gone to sleep in the Vincent Street house. Since the visit of the police they had not been near the house.

Detective Knight produced a further statement made by Thomas in respect of the theft charge. It was stated that both men had taken the goods and were both responsible lor the theft.

Thomas: I didn’t know what I was about when I made that statement. The Chief-Detective: They are both §eamen who refuse to do any work or leave the town. Thomas was convicted for theft last July. They have been sleeping in the Vincent Street house and living on girls who work in factories.

On the vagrancy and theft charges the two accused were convicted and discharged.