ALLEGED BICYCLE THEFT.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 8060, 14 March 1906, Page 2

ALLEGED BICYCLE THEFT.

AX INFORMATION THAT FAILED. On Tuesday morning the New Plymouth S.M. Court was occupied with the hearing of a charge against John Henry Brown, who, it was alleged, had stolen a bicycle, the property of William Hurle.

Detective Boddam conducted the prosecution, and Mr F. J'.. Wilson (Roy and Wilson) appeared for the defence.

The first witness was William Hurle, who purchased the bicycle from Mr John Hurle, cycle agent, of New Ply. mouth, for £l7, in January, IUO3, and now identified the machine. Ou December Bth, IUOI, he rode it to the New Plymouth railway station, and on returning about'anhour afterwards found the bicycle had been removed John Hurle also identified it, though the number had been filed off it, and it had been ycry materially altered, The accused, John Henry Brown, a painter, now iu Hawera, but recently of New Plymouth, stated that in October last he was painting at Mr M. Jones' stables iu King-street. A young fellow came iu, aud was going to ride a bicycle that was standing there, when accused said, " It doesn't belong to me; it belongs to a man at the corner." The young man then asked if he wanted to buy a bicycle, aud, as he wanted one for his son to ride to the New Plymouth High School, he said, " Yes, if it is cheap." The would-be seller brought the bicycle next day, carrying it. The chain was wrapped round the bottom bracket, there wcro no handgrips on it, the lamp bracket was off, and it had no tyres inner or outer. Accused paid £2 then, and ten shillings next day. After getting the machine home, he tried to take it to pieces, but having no vice, was unable to do it. He took the machine next day to Mr Butcher's eoachbuilding shop, where he was working half-time, in order to get it to pieces. The frame stood in Mr Butcher's front shop for about a month, beforo he took it to Mr George's to be put, in order. He had not noticed the erasure of the number until the constable drew his attention to it. As soon as the bicycle was fit to ride, after being painted, his son started to ride it. He did not take the wheels and frame together for repairs. jTo Detective Boddam: He had worked for Cousins and Atkins, in Auckland, but had never gone under any name but Ins own. He swore positively that he had never gone under the name of William Bell. He could not see how it was peculiar to produce Mr Butcher now, when he had not mentioned his name to the police.

Constable Woods gave evidence thai when lie spoke to Brown about the bicycle he stated lie bought it from a stranger in King-street for i'2 10s, the the seller being fully described. He (witness) had taken possession of the machine, which had remained in charge of the police ever sin.v, owing to Mr Hurle identifying it as a stolen bicvcle.

Witness said he was not responsible for the two mouths' delay in bringing this action.

Detective Boddain explained that the delay was in order to give the accused a ehauce to produce the man who, he alleged, had sold him the machine. Arnold George, cycle agent, told the court that ho knew the licensed well, and had fitted tyres and handle grips to the machine produced. The machine had been brought to the shop openly, and there was no concealment on the part of the accused, who bore an excellent character.

Mr Wilson said he could bring evidence in support of the accused's story. The Magistrate said there seemed to to be no case to answer. It was for the prosecution to show that the story was improbable; to him (the Magistrate) jt wns (|iiite plausible and probable, though lie must say. a foolish one. At any rate, ho did not think it fair to ask accused to account for the possession of a bicycle that had been stolen some three yoars ago, for it might have passed through the bauds of twenty people in that time. After hearing the evidence of the accused, His Worship dismissed Ihe information, holding that there was no ease to go to a jury. An order was made for the return of the bicycle to Mr Hurle,