KLEPTOMANIA?

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 190, 23 September 1909, Page 4

KLEPTOMANIA?

ADDING TO HIS RECORD. A middle-aged man named John Alexander Angus, alias Johnston, alias Stewart, who has a record of sixteen previous convictions for various offences, was brought before Mr. 11. S. Fitoherbert, S.M., yesterday three charges of thefts from dwellings. Thaccused was only recently released from a long sentence in the Auckland gao 1 , and during the past seven days has been in the New Plymouth g&ol, through his having been found illegally on premises. The charges were (1) theft from the | Criterion Hotel of an overcoat, valued

at £3 5&, the property of John MeKean, the licensee of the hotel; (2) theft from the White Hart Hotel of three rugs and a sack, valued at 30s, the property of Arthur Clarke, and (3) theft from the dwelling of Thomas Walsh of a silk scarf valued at Os, the property of Walter Taylor Goddard.

'Sergeant Haddrell, who prosecuted,, stated that the charges of theft from ! dwellings had been laid instead of charges of single theft, 011 account of accused's previous record. Evidence was given to the effect that on the morning of Monday, the 13th inst., Mr. McKean missed from a passage way in his hotel his overcoat, but found another dilapidated garment, that had its pockets sewn up with string, in its place. Mr. McKean next saw his'coat in the possession of the police. He saw accused that afternoon at the back of the hotel, where he found him eating smoked schnapper and chops he had taken from a meat safe. On the game Monday morning accused went to W. Jury's stables and accosted a groom named Thomas Stewart, offering to sell to the latter for 10s the coat that Mr. McKean had missed. Stewart asked accused if he had stolen the coat, but Angus replied "No," adding that he had bought it in Auckland *cr £2 10s. Stewart then bought the coat for ss, and afterwards handed it over to Constable Mclvor. After being ar rested Angus denied all knowledge of the coat, but claimed as his the one that Mr. McKean had found in place of his own. Accused said ho had left his coat in some hotel, probably the Criterion. With regard to the rugs stolen from the White Hart Hotel, it was shown in evidence that they belonged to a day porter at that hotel, named Arthur Clarke. They belonged to Clarke's bed, which was in a room in a cottage adjacent to the hotel building. Clarke missed the rugs on the evening of the 14th inst. He also missed a mack, which bore certain letters by which it could be identified. On the same evening, at 9 o'clock, accused went to thy premises of W. Tweedale, a second-hand dealer in Powderham street and tried to sell to the latter the rugs that were missing from the hotel. Tweedalc refused to buy them, but alInwofi iiinru.s to leave the "swag" in an outbuilding for the night. Angus sni.l fie hid come to New Plymouth to seek work, and asked for a shilling to get W Jot the night with. Tweedab gave him this. Afterwards he handed

' swag over to Detective Boddani. On tbo same dav 011 which the blankets were taken n ,boarder at the Rarawa boarding-house, in Silve r street, missed from a hat pe« in the hall of the house n silk scarf belonging to him. Accused had breakfast at the boarding-houstfon the same morning. The scarf was found in the possesion of the accused When lie was arrested on the charge fo r which liu was last week imprisoned. Angus had also been seen by three police officers carrying a sack similar to the one stolen, with something ro' 1 - ■ed up in it.

Soon after the hearing of the charges had been commenced Angus said he wished to plead guilty to save troubX llie charges, being indictable ones, however, he could not plead until tli* evidence against him hud been heard. He had no questions to ask the wiiBOctses.

_ Accused asid he "wanted to make lust a lit of a statement." He was f P'eadmg guilty :to the charges. Ife was coming down from the Waiotapu tree-planting eamp after "doing" a sentcnee and when he caine to Frankton Junction the stationmaster there told i';n i , t, l <" c ™ sc <i'6 son) had been Jiillod at Pacroa on August 2. His 3011 Had, been employed on the railways for six or seven years. Through that accused took a drop of drink." He was advised to consult a lawyer with regard to Ills soil's property, his son, a sin»le man, not having left a will, and havFn» had some dealings with 'Mr. Weston iie eanro to Se w Plymouth to put the matter 111 his hands.

His Worship: You didn't think this was youi soil's property you were colleclmg about the town, did you? Accused: No, your Worship, r don't suppose T did. 1

Continuing his statement, accused Mild he hud heen drinking hard all the way coniing through (••„ prohibition country, interjected l,j„ AVoiwhiiil and never romeniljiM'ed i-oniim' to \cw Plvmoutli. B * •

Accused formally pleaded guilty an, was committed to the Supreme' Cour lit W niigtiiiui for gontvncp.