FATAL CONSEQUENCES OF A SPREE. Theft by the Purser of the Arawa.

Te Aroha News, Volume IV, Issue 179, 20 November 1886, Page 5

FATAL CONSEQUENCES OF A SPREE. Theft by the Purser of the Arawa.

The purser of tho steamer Arawa, a young and attractive looking man named Frank Pembroke, was charged before the Lord Mayor last week, under most painful circumstances, with stealing a diamond pin, value £20, the property of Mr David Wilkie, Chiaf Engineer of that vessol The two officers had just returned from a voyage to New Zealand, and after being paid off went ashore together. Wilkio took lodgings in the Minories, and invited Pembroke to epsnd a night there The latter did co, and likewise breakfasted next morning with his friend. After this they parted, but Pembroke, who, it is to be feared, had been drinking hard and spent most of his money, had not gone far from the Minoried before he retraced hia steps, probably with the intention of borrowing from hia " chum." Not finding Wilkie at the lodgings, the besotted young man marched into his friend's bedroom and deliberately cutting open a locked Gladstone bag, abstracted the diamond pin therefrom. This he pawned in Newgate-street— a singularly appropriate locality, by the way. Next day the shipmates met, and Pembroke (etill no doubt on the spree) calmly admitted the theft. His friend did not, however, receive the confession in the "What's mine is yours " spirit Pembroke anticipated. On the contrary, he talked disagreeably of a prosecution, and would only consent to refrain from calling the police in consideration of a promise that the pin should be returned at once. Pembroke disbelieving his old chum's threats, the promise was not kept, and 24 hours later the luckless young purser, found himself locked up and irreparably disgraced. In answer to the Lord Mayor's query as to whether he had anything to urge by way of excuse. Pembroke paid, frankly, "No, he simply couldu't conceive how, in any condition^ he could have been guilty o f such an act." A gentleman then went into the box and pleaded for the imposition of a fine — not so much on behalf of the young man himself as for tht sake of his father and brother, who were distinguished officers in the army, and would be heartbroken when they came to hear of the affair. The Lord Mayor admitted the case was a most painful one, but found himself constrained, in the interests of public justice, to Eend young Pembroke to prison for three months with hard labour. Mr David Wilkie obtained an order for the return of his pin, which, however was not given up by the pawnbrokers without a protest. Young Pembroke was popular both with the crew and paesengore of the Arawa, and the fatal results of his unlucky •• spree" are generally deplored.