A STRANGE CASE OF KLEPTOMANIA.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1177, 13 May 1884, Page 3

A STRANGE CASE OF KLEPTOMANIA.

At the Resident Magistrate's Court, Christchurch, the other morning, Bella McDonald, a pretty and neatly dressed rirl, aged about sixteen, was brought up on remand from May 2nd. She was charged with having, under seven or eight aliases, committed various offences, viz., with stealing, on Maroh ldii, from E. Price, a cushion, cloth, an 1 a photograph, valned at £4; and from Hannah Oldfield, on March 31st, two rings, one necklet and box, one chemise, one hand bag, one thimble, one pair of stockings, all valued at £4. The prisoner was also charged with obtaining, under false pretences, from Annie E. Nicholls, two pairs of boots, valued at £1 6s ; and from Joseph Jones, groceries and other goods to the value of £3 7s sd. Mr Stringer appeared for the accused. In the fit fit case she had gone to the house of Mrs Price, a music teacher. She said she was Miss Reeves, of Opawa, and she arranged to take lessons. Being rather shabbily dressed, she was followed by Mr Price, whom she had not seen, to the house of a Mrs Phillips, where, on his enquiring, she gave the name of Miss Phillips. Mr Price had no suspicion at that time ot her being a thief. To Mrs Phillips herself, with whom she had lodgings, she had represented herself to be a Miss Reece ; she said that her brother had met with an accident had fallen on a chisel and had come home, and that she had to leave home for a time because the house was small. The accused did not go for the music lessons, but it was found afterwards that she had purloined from Mrs Price's house, while arranging for the lessons, the cushion, cloth and photograph produced. She gave them to Mrs Phillips, whose house she had left to reside with a Mrs Oldfield, where she passed as Miss Fraser. There was no evidence produced as to how she accounted for having to take lodgings with Mrs Oldfield, nor as to how the theft from Mrs Price was found out. Both lodging-housekeepers stated that while with them she had conducted herself quite correctly. Mr Stringer for the defence called accused's father, who deposed that she, while being in all other ways a good child, had for the last two years periodically developed a mania for absconding from home. She was also subject to melancholic and hysterical fits. After her parents had become aware of this they watched her with most particular care, in spite of which, however, she hai ujutiived to get away from home three times, and it was during her last aixence that she had given occasion for the charges which were now brought against her. Such was her cunning that each time after getting away she had managed, although always in Christchurch, to conceal her traces and evade pursuit. The police and her parents were on her last escape equally at fault, and it was with the utmost difficulty that she was found. Dr Turnbull stated that he knew the accused from her birth. He had no doubt that at times she was mentally deranged in this direction, otherwise she was perfectly rational and an excellently good girl. Mr Stringer said this evidence would convince the Bench that the girl was not accountable for her actions. The second charge was similar to that just heard. In the charges for obtaining goods on false pretences she had run up bills for groceries, boots, etc., all of which had been paid for or the goods returned by her father. Inspector Pender said he quite believed what the father had said. Her parents were most respectable people, and the police had been applied to by them more than once for assistance to recover the girl. Mr Beetham said he would not waste time by going into the other charges. The • accused would be discharged, and he would advise her friends to take the strictest care of her. The accused, who throughout bad preserved a very cool but modest demeanor, then left the Court in company with her father. —Christchurch Telegraph.