STRATFORD NEWS

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 111, 3 October 1914, Page 3

STRATFORD NEWS

MAGISTRATE'S COUET. THEFT OF MOTOR GOODS. VOUNG MAN COMMITTED FOE SENTENCE.

At the Stratford Magistrate's Court yesterday, Archibald Kawles, drapar, of Ftratford, was charged with stealing a iiurolber of tyres, cycle covers, tabes and other motor apparatus, as well as motoroil and spirit, the property of Newiton King, between February (i and August SO. Mr. Stanford appeared for acuised. Sergeant McNeely prosecuted. Albert Walter Douglas, clerk to (Mr. 'Newton King, deposed that hj» acted as t,toreman in charge of moior-ear accessories. Had recently nusjed some niotor-eir iind motor-cvele tyros. Missed one Dunlop cover on June 2(1, a similar one on July 20. Tho numbers were 44,260 and 45,852 (tyros produced and identified). There were, no two numbers alike on these byres. The tyres werei not sold by 'him. Knew accused, but bad net sold him any tyres. Also missed two Michelin tyres on 'March 9 ond'JiHie 1. The tyres produced were of the same size and make as the two missed, but could not bi identified by the numbers. Between June 1 and August 28 missed another Michelln tyre (32 by 3'/.). The tyre produced was similar in all respects. Had not sold auiwed any similar tyres. Tho total value of the three would bi> £ll 15s, Had missed two twtorcyclc covers (one tyre produced and identified, the other being tho subject of a charge against mother man). The tyre had not been (.old by him. Had missed three Dunlc/p lubes. He identified the three productd. Missed one on April 29, anoilier on June 3, and the other on July 20. Had i-ever sold any tubes to accused. Had also missel two Michelin tubes and identified the tubes produced as being s'mllar. Thoy were missed on; August 2s. Had lost one tin of insulation tape. The tin produced w,ik, similar. Had sold no such tape to accused. Had missed an oil-can similar to that pro'duced. Hid missed four tins of carbide, sr'milar to those produced, tbe tin* baing specally made for his firmi and beinfid'trerent to other tins, having special lids to push over. Had, between June 1 and September 15, missed two tins of motor grease similar .to that produced. Had missed a tin of belt grip,, i-imilar to that produced. Kadi missed live one-gallon tins of Mobiloil A oil and two low-gallon tins between June 1 and September 1". They were similar to the tins produced. Did not remember selling any of these oils to accused. Had missed three one-gallon tins of motor oil W., similar to Ahe tin produced. . This oil had been specialty indented from Home, and bore special ltbels, unlike any others, Mr. King being the sole agent foT that oil. Did not remember selling any of tho oil to accused. It was missed 'between June 1 end September 17. Between July 1? und August 11 nine tins of SMI benzine were missed. Between February 2*? and Mai eh 3 had missed one tin of Pratt's benzine. Also missed a case of motor tpirit (two tint) between March 6 and 11, another case between 'August 4 and C. Did not' remember selling any benzine to occuwl. The tclal valuo of the goods missed was £4l 12s 3d. - " To Mr. Stanford: All the articles except the tubes and benzine '-could have lieen taken in two or throe-visits. Accused had not been in the garage for the last four months, to witness' knowledge. It was quite possible for anyone to go into the garage and out in daylight without anyone knowing; it The values quoted were selling iiricee. Accused had five or six nionths ago bought stuff from the gKrage.l Accused now owed for benzine which he had 'bought at the garage. Ac&isid might have bought from someone else in the garage, and witness would not know it.

Re-examined: On February 14 accused bought one case of motor f.pirU. The books showed the purchase. On .Tune 14 ho bought a tin of motor spirit. Constable McCowan deposed that on September It the previous witness re]iorU4 to him that he was short of motor-tvres and tubes, and gave witness the numbers o f tiro tyres-. On the 17th witness saw jiawles' car, juul on the back wheel was a tyre of a similar number .(1.i,8X2) to one described as n:ia>ir>jSf. A warrant was issued for the arrest of Uawlcs relative to that tyre. Accused, when arrested, stated that" he pot the tyre from (leorge Wilson, traveller for llodder and Toiler, in Pal-ln-eraton North. loiter aw-usej said Wilson brought the tyre to i-Slratford. ■The car was then stored in .Mr. King's garage, and -witness found the Duniop <ovor on (he other buck wheel. lie also found a Michelin tyre .and lube, and in the locker of the car'ho discovered three Duniop tubes. The articles produced were those found on accused's <-ar. Witness 'than wuit lo accused's shop in Broadway, where ho found the motor cycle cover and tube, en the bank wheel of accused's motor bicycle. At the baidk of the shop behind tho counter lie found a 'Michelin tyre. Under th<; counter on the opposite side of the shop he found an empty 4-gal. tin of 'Mobiloil A oil among some empty benzine tins, lie- also found two 2gal. tins of Mobiloil A oil, a tin of motor oil, insulation tapir, and oil win at the right-hand back corner of the shop under a shelf. In a small box at the end of >tho counter be found two tin* of carbide, a 71b tin of grease, and a tin of belt grip. In the back part of the i*hop, used as a kitchen;, be found under the shelf a 4gal. benzine tin full of motor oil. The articles produced in Court and identified bv the previous witness vrzn tho,'io found. There were twelve full tins of benzine ni the .shop, some under the counter, seme under the shelves-, and two or three tin* on th« shelves. There were .-iltogether 34 tins, but 22 were empty.

To Mr. Stanford: The articles were, all fairly easily found. Are used gave no trouble when arrested. Accused had novcr to witness' knowledge been beiore the Court. Gcorpc (•. Wilson, traveller for Hoddtr and Tolley, of Palmerston North, said be bad never had any transaction with aecufcfd in motor tyres. To Hr. Stanford: Had mice procured a needle-valve of a carburetter for acuiHod.

Jioy .T. Mudford, a motor chauffeur, of Stratford, said accused early in July last spoke to him lubont buying a .MUIII- - car tyre. Accused Raid the tr.ro was too Wff for his car, and that lw Rot. it from Stephens nnil 'iiv.nn, New Plymouth. .AwusPd asJwd £i for it. and Mated (hat the shop li«l olofiod, Hud ihu-i he could not take it back. Witness bought the tyre. When he called at Ttawles' for the tyre accused said it was not in tl'e shop. J'Ventually wit'new removed the tyre (produced) from his «ar, and;handed it to the police. llonrv Win. Mudford, motor garage iproprietor, of' Stratford, swid a«MK«d brought a motor tyre, to the aauijro on .Idly 10 (tyre produced and identified), statin); that it was for witness son. The tyre, which was a new

9Bv t iiaj iliu Bernard P/yru, motor cHJpHeo.r,- of New Plymouth, said ho was in biisinew thesre recently with Mr. Stephens, as jr.otor garage proprietors. Accused had never bought a Mtchelin tyre from hirn

This convluded the, ease for the pro tccation. Accused, who pleaded guiltv. was committed to the Supreme Court for sentence. A SEMES OF THEFTS. BY ANOTHER CULPRIT. Edward Henry Harrington -was charged with the theft, ibetwecn June 1 and September 17, of a number of motor acct»orics. Sergeant McNeely pTOseeutcd'. H. W: Douglas, clerk at Newton King's Stratford garage, said that he missed four .300 generators siniiilar to tho three produced. Had sold no-ae of those gennrators to accused. Had also missed a Jjubrieine generator, two cycle lamps, and five -209 cycle lamps, similar to those produced Had 1 sold no lamps to accused. Had missed a motor oil can similar to that produced, also a 2<i x 2 1 /; Dunlop tyre on June, 1, No. 15,804. The tyre produced was the fame. The total retail value Tvas £3 5e Bd.

Constable McCowan gave evidence as to rinding « Dunlop cycle tyre on the front wheel of accused's motor cycle (produced and identified). He also •found in a box stored in Rawles' shop, and afterwards claimed toy accused, two motor-co'cle. lamps, a 'generator, and an oil-can. He identified the articles produced. When charged, accused made a voluntary written statement to the effect that he broke into the premises of S. Sharp (tobacconist), Harris (bootmaker), Foster (bootmaker) and licanmont (sweets shop), • also admitting a theft from Newton King's, and expressing regret for the offences committed.

In answer- to the usual question, accused said that since he was remanded three weeks ago for thoft ho had confwsed. Ho pleaded guilty, and was committed to the Supreme Court for sentence. Accused was also committed for sentenco on charges of' (a) theft of seven .pairs of boots, valned at £4 ss. from the -shop of IT. (jl. Harris, !6oot dealer, for■iirlv of Stratford; (b) breaking and entering'the shop of David Beaumont, flnd stealing therefrom two boxes of chocolates, valued at lis; (c) breaking and entering tie shop of Stanley It. Sharp, tobacconist, on August 8, and stealing therefrom a number of articles of the total wine of £8 4s 9d; (d) theft of 28 pairs of boots fromi the shop of Ernest Geo. Foster, boot of Stratford. The whole of the above were found in the boxes taken from Rawles' shop and claimed by accused. The efridenco in each case was ns to identification, and accused pleaded guilty to each charge. . The breaking and entering was apparently effected in each ease by means of forcing n window. An order was made for the return of the stolen property to the respective owners.