HOUSEBREAKING.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 161, 6 January 1912, Page 2

HOUSEBREAKING.

C01OITTTK1) FOR SENTENCE. Jas. Clias. Graham, alias Adolphus Cha.s. Henrv Williamson, alias Peter De Martamor,' alias Paul Mercer, was charged -on remand at tin: court yesterday morning before Messrs. ]). Berry and J. F. Eustace, J.P.'s, with house-break-ing on December 20. Senior-Sergeant Dart conducted the case on behalf of the police, and- prisoner was undefended. In outlining the ease, the sergeant pointed out that a person entering by a door, whether locked 1 or not, was sufficient to constitute a crime. Gertrude Mars' McKellar was the first witness called, and stated that she lived at her father's (.la>\ Scott McKellar), Devon street east. On Friday afternoon, December 21). she went out with her mother at about 2.15. and no one was left in. the house. All doors were left locked, and the windows were closed at the bottom, but open at the top. They returned about 4.1.'), and found the back door closed but unlocked. The kitchen and spare bedroom windows were both thrown open from the bottom. Outside the spare bedroom window was a light batten running between the weather boards and the ground. That was broken and an earth mark on it, which was probably a footmark. When they went inside they saw marks of nails on the kitchen and front passage linoleum. There was no one living in the house who wore boots that could leave such marks. In the spare bedroom there two or three drawers taken out of a chest of drawers and laid on the floor. In her bedroom her writing desk, which had been left standing on the back of the table, was placed face downwards on the front of the table. She opened .the drawers of the writing table and found j that two purses, which contained money, had been emptied. According to her accounts they bad 12s 9d in them. A florin and a shilling were left -on the top of the chest of drawers, and that was missing, making 15s 9d in ' all. There were some stamps on a table, but she could not tell if any were missing. In the front bedroom there was a tray with some jewellery, which had been scattered about.' The money taken was held by her as treasurer of the Girls' Friendly Society. She identified the linoleums (produced) as being those belonging to the front passage. They were taken possession of by the polio© on the same day. She did not know the accused, and no one had authority to take the monev. Clifford Gilbert Hall, a lad of nine and a half years old, said ,'he lived in Eliot street with his parents', and attended the Central school. On the day in question he was with a little boy named Jack Bennett. They were near Mr. McKellar's house about 3.30, when they saw a man (accused) go through the gate. They left and went home. The next day he saw accused in the yard at the police station, with seven or eight others, and he picked him out as the man he saw going into McKellar's place. Detective-Sergeant Boddam's <evidence was that on December 29, at 4.45, in consequence of a complaint made by Mr. J. S. McKellar, he proceeded to his residence in Devon street east, in company with Senior-Sergeant Dart. On arrival there they made an examination outside the premises, and found the window of the back bedroom open, the lower sash having been raised about 18 inches. A wooden batten, immediately beneath the window, was broken and carried fresh soil, apparently from a footmark. They found the kitchen window open. They entered the house and on going into the back bedroom, in which the window was open, they found the drawer of a dressing-table partly drawn out, and the contents apparently disturbed. An examination of the linoleums i was made in the kitchen and front passage, and distinct marks of a heavy nailed boot were found. There were similar footprints in the garden in the vicinity of the back-bedroom window. They left Mr. McKellar's house and walked in the direction of Fitzroy. When nearing Scrivener's store they met the accused walking in the direction of New Plymouth on the opposite side of the footpath. They went up to him, and he was slightly under the influence of liquor, or pretended to be. They took him under arrest, telling him that he answered to the description of a man who had been seen in the vicinity of Mr. McKellar's house, which had been broken into a I short time previously and money stolen from it. They took the accused to the Fitzro}' police station. On the way, he said, "No, not me, you haw made a mistake this time." On arrival at the Fitzroy station they searched him and found the sum of £1 lis, made up of small coins. The accused said he had borrowed £2 from a matfr in New Plymouth that morning. Immediately after the accused said he. went to Stratford that morning by the first train, and got the money from Cameron and ftrooking, and returned to New Plymouth by the next train. In addition to the money, they found some penny and halfpenny stamps. The accused was wearing a pair of heavy nailed boots, which would leave an impression similar to that „found in McKellar's house. Accused was then (brought to the Njevv Plymouth police station and charged with the offence. He was arrested two days previously on another charge, and' when discharged from custody on December 28 ho had in his possession only 7s 0y 2 d. On December 30 he (the dectective) received a letter from the accused, through Mr. Coyle, gaoler in New Plymouth gaol, in which he pleaded guilty, and said he was under the influence of liquor at the time. The boots (produced) were those worn hj the accused. Accused did not ask any questions, but pleaded guilty, and was committed for sentence at the Auckland Supremo Court sittings.