ALLEGED THEFT.

Taranaki Daily News, 19 August 1922, Page 7

ALLEGED THEFT.

TWO MEN CHARGED. COMMITTED FOR TRIAL. William Wilson and Anthony Kelly, w r ho appeared on remand, were jointly charged in the New Plymouth Magistrate’s Court yesterday with stealing from the person of William Cheffing, one pocket-book valued at 15s, seven pounds in money, one cheque for £Bl 15s (drawn on the Bank of New South Wales, New Plymouth), ten war bonds valued at £lO, and a P.O. Savings Bank book valued at Is, a total of £99 Ils, the property of William Cheffing. The accused, for whom Mr. L. M. Moss appeared, pleaded not guilty. Detective-Sergeant Cooney said the complainant, Mr. Cheffing. was a retired farmer living at Fitzroy. He left home on the 11th to go to the New Plymouth Post Office Savings Bank in order to bank somn Mr. Cheffing arrived in town at 11 o’clock, when he went into the front bar of the Criterion Hotel to have refreshment. He had a wallet containing a £5 note, 3 £1 notes and some war bonds in his inside coat pocket. From the wallet he took £1 and handed it to the barman, receiving change. After remaining in the bar for a few minutes he went out towards the rear of the hotel when a man (subsequently identified as Wilson) came up behind him and said: “Hullo, dad! What’s wrong with your coat? It’s all messed up behind.” He offered to brush the coat, Cheffing taking off his coat and giving Wilson a rfed handkerchief to brush it with. A second man (subsequently identified as Kelly) came along, but did not speak. After the coat was handed back Cheffing went away, going towards the post office where, when about to bank, he found his wallet and money missing. He then went back to the Criterion Hotel to see if he equid see the men. There he met a man named John Smith, whom he told of his loss, and they then tried to find the man. A Maori standing outside said he saw two men come in a hurry from the hotel right-of-way, going then round Brougham Street. The Maori accompanied them round to the Terminus Hotel, where the two men were identified. Cheffing then went to the police station, Smith also ringing up the police from the railway station. AN OFFER OF A LOAN.. At the Terminus Hotel Wilson wanted to “shout” for several men in the bar. There Wilson asked a man named O’Reilly if he could do with £25. O’Reilly said he could. The two men then went outside, where Wilson handed a cheque to O’Reilly, saying that if he got the cheque cashed he could have the money promised, but O’Reilly could not cash the cheque, as he could neither read nor write. The police came along to the Terminus Hotel shortly afterwards, when Cheffing pointed out Wilson as the man who had brushed his coat. The police took Wilson into the hotel office; Kelly, meanwhile, had disappeared. About one and a half to two hours afterwards Sergeant Martin, on investigating, found a cheque for £Bl 15s on the floor in the urinal, a cheque which was identified as belonging to Cheffing. Kelly was not found till that night, when he was arrested at the railway station on a charge

of drunkenness. Wilson had a £5 note and a 2s piece on him when arrested. He explained that he had been working for the Public Works Department at Awakino, whence he came to town on the 7th inst. . with £26. Inquiries made from the Public Works Department, however, showed that Wilson was not known there, ...»Kelly had said to the police: “You can’t charge me with theft; I’ve been in employnjient.” He said that on the 10th inst. he received £2 0s 3d from the Union S.S. Co. and £1 0s Id from the Shaw, Savill and Albion Co. Inquiries showed that Kelly had received £1 3s 6d from the Union Co. but nothing at all from the Shaw, Savill Co. On the application of Mr. Moss all witnesses in the case were ordered out of court. William Cheffing, the complainant, gave evidence on the lines of the detective’s outline of the case. He identified all the articles lost as his property. Evidence was given next by John Chas. Smith, who helped in the search for the 1 accused; David Eraia, who saw the men come out of the Criterion Hotel, and subsequently identified the two men at the Terminus Hotel; Frederick C. Faber, licensee of the Terminus Hotel; Arthur George Hopkinson and William Murray, who were in the bar of the Terminus Hotel when the two accused came in. PAPER MONEY NO GOOD. Patrick O’Reilly, laborer, New Plymouth, said Wilson approached him outside the Terminus Hptel, saying he knew witness was “broke” and asking how £25 would do him. Witness said, “It would be very acceptable in these hard times.” Wilson then offered him a piece of paper saying witness could cash it and obtain the money. Witness said it was no good to him, as he could neither read nor write, nor would he take the paper. The piece of paper was rolled up so he could not tell whether it was a cheque or not. Nathan Solomon, barman at the Terminus Ho' r ’. and Reginald Graham; clerk, gave ev-.ynce, the latter as to finding r. wallet containing 10 war bonds, a promissory note and a 2d stamp, near the Kawaroa Park fountain on Sunday evening last He handed the wallet and contents over to Sergeant Martin. Frederick Watson, shipping manager for Newton King, Ltd., agents for the Shaw, Savill and Albion Co., said f Kelly’s nar<e last apneared against an amount paid to him on May 19. This was for work done on the last Shaw, Savill and Albion boat (the City of Winchester) that bad visited New Plymouth. David Morrison, manager of the New Plymouth branch of the Union Steam Ship Co., said Kelly’s name was on the fist, he having been paid last on Wednesday, August 9, the amount being £1 3s 6d. Witness thought Kelly had received previous payments. Senior-Sergeant H. McCrorie produced a long statement obtained from the accused 1 Wilson, in which he admitted that he had . 1 offered to rub some paint off Mr. Cheffing’s coat, but did not have hold of the coat when it was taken off. He saw a redheaded man, aged, roughly, about 36 or 37, handle the coat, and he was brushing the paint off; but, as far as Wilson saw, he did not take anything out of it. Witness said that as the result of accused’s statement, in. which he said he had worked for a time on the Public Works Department, he had made enquiries, but found i that a man named Wilson had never worked there. The coat Mr. Cheffing was

wearing at the time of the alleged theft had been examined by witness, but there was no sign of paint. There was just a faint tinge on the coat which appeared tn have been caused by a red handkerchi p f which Mr. Cheffing eaid he had lent Wilson to rub the coat with. The police had rubbed the coat with the red handkerchief subsequently, a slight red tinge, the same as in the previous case, being the result. Sergeant S. J. Martin, giving evidence as to interviewing the accused Wilson at the Terminus Hotel, sand Wilson first said he only brushed the coat when it was on Mr. Cheffing, but subsequently admitted that he had handled it when it was off. On being asked where his mate, who was with him at the Criterion. Hotel, was, W’ilson said he had gone out to the back of the hotel. Wilson said he did not know his mate’s name, but described him as a tall, ginger-haired man, wearing a brown, suit. Later Kelly came up to Wilson, and witness heard him ask Wilson what was the matter. Wilson’s reply was not audible to witness. Kelly then disappeared. On being asked where he got a £5 found on him from, Wilson said he had had it on him since he was paid £26 by the Public Works Department. The rest of the money he had “boozed.” Asked why then he had to borrow sixpence from the barman of the Terminus Hotel to go to the Breakwater, Wilson said he wanted to go to the Breakwater to se a man who was holding £l2 belonging to him. He refused to give the man’s name or address, his reason being that the man was a sly-grogger and had “run the cutter for him several times.” The man, he said, was a bit of a “bookie,” and Wilson had given him some money to put on the dog races (apparently the coursing events) which had been run that day. Wilson said the man had given him back £B. Wilson said he did not know the number or the bank of the issue of the note, but did not object to being searched, the result being that a £5 note, a twoshilling piece, a penny, and a left-luggage label, dated 7/8/’22, were found on him. Later in the day, on searching at the rear of the Terminus Hotel, he found the cheque produced in the urinal doorway. This cheque had been identified by Wm. Cheffing hr being his. On Sunday evening last, the wallet and contents (produced) were brought to the police station by Mr. Graham.

Witness produced a statement given by Kelly, who described himself as a fireman, aged 38, single, liying at Pioneer Road. He met Wilson a few days before being arrested. He denied know’ing anything of the robbery till told of it at the policestation. He stated that he had recently drawn £3 0s 3d, earned at the wharf, but had spent all his money in drink. In reply to the usual question, both accused answered, “Nothing, sir,” and again pleaded “not guilty.” Both accused were then formally committed for trial at the November session of the Supreme Court at New Plymouth. There no application for bail.