THE RAHOTU BURGLARY

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 367, 19 April 1910, Page 2

THE RAHOTU BURGLARY

POLICE COURT PROCEEDINGS. TOMMY BURNS COMMITTED FOR SENTENCE. At the Police Court yesterday, before Messrs W. Bewley and C. E. Bellringer, JLP.'s, a young man named Thomas Burns was presented on a series of informations with having on April 10th last broken and entered the dwelling of Alexander Hood, at Rahotu, with intent to commit a crime, and with having stolen therefrom eighteen .packets of cigarettes; further, that on or about April 6th he stoTe from the same premises a pair of trousers, valued at (is 6d, the •property of John Herbert Williams; that between the 10th January and 10! h valued at £2 10s, a net hammock valued at 20s, and a lady's handkerchief value 1 at one shilling, the property of Robert Newport; and, fourthly, with havi-ig on 6th April stolen from the same house a sovereign case valued at 5s three foreign coins valued at ss. and a watchbox valued at 2s, and some stamps, the property of Francis Herbert 'Pennington.

The accused treated the whole proceedings with an air of isntiehalance. Alexander Hood, liceisee of the Rahotu Hotel, at Rahotu, deposed that Le closed his premises at 10 o'clock on Saturday, April 9th, and retired about an miout later, having locked and barred the floors and windows. On the following morning his wife drew his attention to the fact that the bar window was open. He investigated, and found that fifteen or twenty packets of cigarettes had been taken from a cardboard box above ( the safe. The 'box was produced. The ' till had been drawn out to its full extent, and left in that condition. He ihad, however, taken all the cash from the till the night before. The bar window was open about eighteen inches. The catch must have been forced back. One of the wooden bars which had been placed across the inside of the windo*" had been cut through, as though with a knife. He knew the accused, who stayed at the hotel. He was in the house on the previous Tuesday and Wednesday. Witness saw him in the house at liabout 8 o'clock on the 9th inst., but he did not engage a bed that night. He was quite certain that the accused was not in the house when he went to bed that night. On the following morning he found the accused in No. 2 bedroom. He looked round, and found that the passage window, which had been locked the night before, was now open. That was' the only place where the accused could have gained admittance. He sent for Constable Hickman, and was with that officer when he searched the accused about midnight. He found cigarettes in the man's pockets, and some inside his shirt. There were also several other articles (as enumerated in the information, and as now produced), the hammock being taken from the leg of his trousers. In reply to Constable Hickman, the accused said the property was his own. Witness said, "Those are my cigarettes," and the accused asked in reply, "Can you prove it?" A young man named Newport stayed with him [.occasionally. Newport's travelling-b.«g was general}* left in witness' charge, and it was keftt in the linen press, which was usually locked, but sometimes open. I Prior to the Saturday in question he had received complaints that things were missing. John Herbert Williams, a laborer, deposed that on April 9th he stayed the | night at the Rahotu Hotel, and saw the doors and windows locked. One man, ' named Leadbeaterl, came in after Tie went to bed. It was one o'clock before j Leadbeater left witness' room. He himself was reading until 2 o'clock. About that time he heard the voices of two or I three perjons outside, and found he could recognise Burns' amongst them, i Witness now identified as his property a pair of trousers found upon the accused. He bad missed them from his room \ during the previous week. Up till 2 o'clock on the Sunday morning he was certain that Burns was not In the house.

Robert Newport, a laborer residing at Rahotu, said that occasionally he stayed mt Hood's hotel, and since last November he had been in the habit of leaving his travelling bag there. He was present when Constable Hickman searched the accused on the Sunday, and recognised some of his property amongst the articles found upon him. Accused claimed the hammock and handkerchief, saying had brought them from the South. He had missed them from his bag during the previous month. During Jannarv or February he had missed a watch from the bag.' The watch produced he recognised- as his, for 5t had his name engraveo. on it. He received it again from Harry James, through Bill James, in March.

Harry James, a sawmill hand residing on the Kahui road, near Rahotu, deposed that on one occasion Burns came to his father's place, and showed witness a silver watch. He saw the name "R. Newport" on it, and said, "This is R. Newport's watch; I know the bloke." Accused, however, said it was his grandfather's watch. He made some enquiries. Some time afterwards he saw the accused at the Rahotu Hotel, and told him that the watch was Newport's, and that "if you give it to me there will be no more trouble about it." The accused answered, "All right, I'll give it to you to-night," He accordingly did so, and the witness gave it to his brother to return to the owner. On this occasion the accused gave another version of how the watch came into his possession, explaining that he had found it lying on the table in No. 4 bedroom at the Rahotu Hotel.

Francis Herbert Pennington, a blacksmith, boarding at the Rahotu Hotel, stated that on Wednesday, 6th April, he missed three coins; and on Thursday a matchbox, sovereign case, and a pair of pocket scissors. The .articles produced were his. He also missed a shilling's worth of peniw and halfpenny stamps. The coins had been taken from his waistcoat pocket, which also contained the key of his box. from which the remaining articles har been taken. Each and every witness stated that no authority had been given to the Accused, or anvone else, to remove the articles forming the subject of the prosecution. The accused asked no questions.

Constable Hickman, stationed at Ttahotu, gave evidence that he saw accused at the"TCahotu Hotel on Sunday, April Kith, and arrested and searched him. He found five or six packets of cigarettes in his pockets, also a sovereign case, some foreiim coins, and postage stamps. Thirteen packets of cin-nrett.es were found inside his shirt. Witness then searched a suit of clothes which had been hanging in Oiis room, and which he claimed as his. In the leg of the trousers he found the net hammock: in the coat pocket a. small handkerchief. Accused, in answer to a ouestion, said these were his. adding that life had brought them from the South Island. In answer to a remark by witness con-

cerning -the large quantity of cigarettes in his possession, the accused said, "I often win a few packets of cigarettes at a .game of cards." He visited accused's whare, on the Kahui road, and found there the match-box, trousers, and other property as set out in the information. Upon being asked if he had anything to say, the accused, for the first time coming to the front of the dock, said, "I should like Mr. Hood to prove that I broke into his hotel, and I should also like him to prove that those are his cigarettes. Mr. Newport said he lost his handkerchief and net about three weeks before; and I would like him to prove that. Mr. Williams said I was not in the house all that night, and I would like him to prove that. I think I had another pair of small scissors in my pocket when the constable 'went through' jne." Upon it being intimated to the accused that the Court proposed to commit him foil trial, but that he could, if he so desired, plead guily aJid be committed to the Supreme Court for sentence, ihe said he would like these questions proved first. After further explanation, however, he changed his mind, and answered, "I suppose"[ might as well plead guilty." His plea was taken accordingly, and he was committed to Wellington for sentence.