AGED THIEF

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 1004, 21 June 1930, Page 1

AGED THIEF

STORY OF GENEROUS MAORI WOMAN GAOL FOR THREE MONTHS Bearded, and aged 74, Angus Stewart denied, at the Police Court this morning, the theft of goods from persons unknown. Accused, who had a list of previous • convictions, was sentenced ; to three months’ imprisonment. Stewart, a farm labourer, pleaded not guilty to charges of stealing boots valued at I.Bs 6d and a handbag valued at both the property of persons unknown, yesterday. Evidence showed that accused had sold a pair of new boots to a dealer *for 7s 6d yesterday. His story was that he had got the boots from the North Shore. A constable who arrested accused in Wellesley Street produced a woman’s leather purse which was found in his possession. The old man’s explanation was that he was given the purse by a Maori woman whose, napie he did not know. It was later discovered that the purse was stolen from a telephone box in the city. Stewart had nothing to say, and Chief Detective Hammond said the man had been before the court a month ago for the theft of boots. On that occasion a hook had been attached to the tags, showing that the boots had been torn from a shop doorway. Stewart had come out of gaol Thursday week. A sentence of. three month’s imprisonment on the first count and a convie’tiofi only on the second charge, were imposed-