HOTELKEEPER ROBBED

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 128, 21 May 1908, Page 2

HOTELKEEPER ROBBED

AN AEREST MADE. On Monday afternoon a stranger arrived ut the Alton Hotel and engaged a room (reports the iPaliea Press). He Mas quietly dressed and of respectable appearance. He stayed in the hotel. During the afternoon Mr. Wimsett, the licensee of the hotel, had occasion to leave the premises, and during his absence the stranger was noticed coining from the passage leading to Mr. Wimsett's bedroom. Mrs. Wimsett, who had liecome suspicious, shortly afterwards went to the room and, opening a purse which was placed under the pillow of the lied, found that £lß—one £lO note, one £5 note, and three sovereigns-had been abstracted. Tile curious part is that there was over £3O in the pur.-.' but only £lB had been taken. Mi-. Wimsett taxed the stranger with hiving committed the robiiery. hut lie strenuously and indignantly denied the charge. Mr. Wimsett came into I'atea and informed (unstable O'lJrien of the occurrence. Constable O'Brien drove out to Alton and arrested the suspected man sit the hotel. On searching h':u three sovereigns and three shillings were found, but no trace of any notes. The accused, who gave his name as Edward -fames King, was brought to PaU'a. Prior to his arrest,.Mr. Wimsett noticed King wall; down the road and go up to a gorse hedge. On Tuesd-av morning Mr. Wimsett instituted a search and the missing notes were discovered in the hedge. On Tuesday afternoon Edward .lames King was charged, before Mr. ,!. A. McKeima, J.P., with having stolen £lB. the. property of Mr. 0. Wimsett, of Alton, and on the application of the police was remanded for a. week.