THE BURGLARY AT MR SCOTT'S.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXI, Issue 9051, 28 March 1908, Page 5

THE BURGLARY AT MR SCOTT'S.

A SUSPECT BEFORE THE COURT.

COMMITTED FOR TRIAL

The sequel to the burglary in the premises of Mr Jas. Scoit, jeweller, ' of Queen street, Master'ton, during the night of the 2nd inst, was the appearance at the Magistrate's Court, yesterday morning, before Mr W. P. James, S.M., of a young man named William Cameron, alias Joseph Harward, who was charged with breaking and entering Jas. Scott's shop on or about the date mentioned, and stealing therefrom jewellery to the value of between £4O and £SO. The accused had been arrested in Napier on a charge of assaulting a police constable, but the discovery of a quantity of jewellery in his possession led to enquiries being made, which resulted in the more serious charge being laid against him. The evidence for the prosecution was given by Jas. Scott, Jessie Scott, his daughter, Wm. T. Dreyberg, boarding - house - keeper of Napier, Elizabeth Mary Hansen, servant, Constable Baker and Detective Quarterman, of , Napier, and Sergeant Miller. This went to show that whpn Mr Scott and his daughter left the shop on the evening of March 2nd, all the goods that were' afterwards found to be missing were then in the shop, and the premises were securely locked. ; When the shop was opened next morning, it was found that the back window had been prized open, and a quantity of jewellery was missing from the shop, and a num'Ber of articles of jewellery produced in Court were identified by Mr Scott as his property. At the time of the burglary the accused was staying at a local boarding-house, and on the morning after the robbery at about 9 o'clock a servant in the bouse found an article of jewellery on accused's bed. and when informed of the discovery accused said "that's all right." The bed did not appear as if it had been slept in that night, and upon the . servant asking h'ra if he would want the .bed., the following night, accused said no, and at once ordered a cab and left the premises. When arrested at Napier on the assault charge, and part of the jewellery suspected to have been stolen was found on him, accused remarked: "The game's up; I'm disgraced." The Napier police then made enquiries, and discovered the accused's portmanteau in a boarding-house, which was opened with a key which he had in his possession when, arrested. In it was found a large quantity of jewellery, which was recognised as all that which was taken from Scott's, with the exception of a few trifles.

After hearing the evidence, accused, who was undefended by counsel, reserved his defence, and was committed to the Wellington Supreme Court for trial. Accused is at pieseht undergoing a sentence of two months' imprisonment for assault at Napier.