MASTERTON POLICE COURT.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXI, Issue 9084, 8 May 1908, Page 5

MASTERTON POLICE COURT.

CHARGES OF THEFT

Mr W.' P. Jnme3. S.M., occupied 'the Bench at the Masterton Police* • Court yesterdiy morning. Henry R«oks and Harry Hurndell were jointly charged with the theft, on Monday last of about one cwt. of •nntatoes, valued at seven shillings, fe property of CharM Anketell. Mr C. A. Pownall appeared for both •accused, and entere-i a plea of not

guilty. Sergeant Miller detailed the cir- ! ■ cumstances as to the arrest of Rooks, reported when the case was first •called on. Hurndell, on being told at the police station that he was suspected of assisting in the theft, said he would not do such a thing. Chanes Anlcetell, farmer, of Kuripuni, deposed that he had a paddock ••of potatoes near the railway line. ", Some had been dug on Monday, and were "seconds," similar to those produced, of the Northern Star variety. Witness missed a sack of potatoes - on Tuesday morning. Constable Kyle said that on Monday evening he went to Olive Street . . and saw a sack with potatoes in them lying by the footpath. Later on the two accused came'along with two ladies, and after waiting for about five minutes, Rooks took the sap* and its contents away. Witness intercepted them and took them to the station, where Hurndell was charged ■with complicity in the offence, but • denied it. . Sargt. Miller, in evidence, said Rooks gave the name of Jackson when witness met him carrying the potatoes. Witness accused him of stealing the potatoes. Rooks denied it, and on witness threatening to follow him home, accused dropped the fotatoes and ran away. The second ag contain?* half the stolen potatoes was found by Mr Vibert in his coal •yard near the locality. ' Mr Pownall, in defence, said that :it was'denied that Rooks was the man whom Sergt. Miller met. Hurndell, who was a railway stsker, coming from the station, noticed the potatoes where Constable Kyie was watching, and coming along afterwards with Rooks, they decided to take the potatoes home to Rook's house, rind advertise for the owner of them. It would be proved that Rooks was indoors during the tune the police alleged he was met by ."Sergt. Miller. Both accused and their respective wives gave evidence on the lines •outlined by counsel. The Magistrate, after exhaustive cross-examination, said there was a doubt as to whether Rooks was the man first met by the Sergeant, and accused would get the benefit of it. 'f he case was, therefore, disJUVENILE COURT. j^" v "A sitting of the Juvenile Court -vtaa held before the Magistrate, •when two lads were respectively charged with the theft of a bicycle and a bicycle wheel, the property >of Harjld Sinclair, a'bicycle dealer. Evidence was given by J. Har*man, foreman at Mr Sinclair's, as to the being missed and subsequfound in the grounds of St. Matthew's Church. Constable Doyle • deposed to one of the accused being caught in the act of removing parts -of the bicycle from the church yard in the early morning. Both lads pleaded guilty to the offence, and were each sentenced to six strokes of 'the birch rod. John Jepsoti, father of one of the lads, was afterwards charged with rr.ceiving the bicycle wheel, knowing it to have been dishonestly obtained. The Magistrate, after hearing the evidence, said there was no evidence to show that defendant knew the wheel was stolen, and dismissed tht? information. Mr W. G. Beard appeared for de feiidant.

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