WHOLESALE THEFT.

Taranaki Daily News, 15 October 1917, Page 7

WHOLESALE THEFT.

'i _ i AN INCIDENT AT ARCH lIILL. HOUSE STRIPPED OF FURNITURE. i Auckland, Oct. fi. i Theft on a wholesale scale was admitted by a man named Robert James Bryden, alias Woodward, who came' before Mr. F. V. Fraser, S.M., yesterday on a charge that he had "in August broken into the house of M.'rgaret isomers, in Bond Street, Arch Hill, and stolen practically the whole, of the furniture of the house. The evidence showed tlpii in August Mrs. Somcr*. an old widow woman, left her home in Arch liill. to spend some day- at the home of a son in tirey Lynn. When she returned at the beginning of September she found that her house Jiad been practically swej.t clear of furniture and furnishings. While the old lady was away accused | had called at the house, and spoken to j a neighbor, to whom he stated he was I a, grandson of the old lady, and his eonl verse.tion led the neighbor to believe ! he was jroing to live in the place. Later the neighbor, a lady, saw a cart backed lup to the house and furniture taken j away under the supervision of accused. Furniture comprising a couch, seven j chairs, a dresser, a washsland, and and forks wen; sold to a scoondi hand dealer for £2 7s fid, and a quantity of clothing to another dealej; for | 12s fid. while pictures, crockery, carpets, etc., wcro given by him to boarding-housc-keeper.s for board. Altogether, crockery, clothing, and furniture valued at .£l7 were taken. Towards the end of last month accused had been arrested near Pukekohe on another charge. lie was then mounted on a horse and had to be run down by a 1 motor-ear to enable the arrest to be effected. Nearly aii the furniture was subsequently recovered md identified. ' Accused pleaded guilty, and was eomniitfcd to the Supreme Court for sen- | tenec. Accused also admitted three thefts in September of a watch and chain and overcoat from Frank Toddy, a suit of! clothe, belonging to Patrick Daly, and two coats and a pair of boots owned by Oorgo Eberlie. He further admitted hat ho had obtained '2os from Elizabeth McArtiiur by a false pretence. i Chief Detective McMnhon stated that the thefts were committed from rooms in which 'Bryden boarded, and the £1 was obtained by representing that' he wanted it urgently to bail a friend who had been locked up by the police, when no such friend had been arrested. Accused, said Mr. McMahon, had been comnutted for sentence for horse-stealing at Papakura, and was serving a sentence of a month's imprisonment for the theft of a saddle in the same district. Accused was sentenced to six mouths' hard labor.