ALLEGED THEFT.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10075, 24 August 1910, Page 6

ALLEGED THEFT.

A CHARGE DISMISSED.

At the Magistrate's Court in Masterton yesterday morning, before Messrs J. Brown and J. Fraser, J.'sP., Arthur Jones was charged, on remand, with the theft of £2 10s and a dozen packets of cigarettes, on the 12th of August, from the shop of John Knight, Gladstone. Sergeant Miller prosecuted, aad Mr G. H. Cullen, acting for Mr C. A. Pownall, appeared for the accused. Sergeant Miller stated that accused, hie hrothar, and a young man named Lse drove up to Mrs Knight's private house at Gladstone, and accused went in without knocking and asked for tea to be supplied to him and his mates, who afterwards came in. Whilst the tea was in preparation, accused and°Lee went outside. Tea came in and all partook of tea. After they had gone Mrs Knight went to her shop, which stands ten feet away from the house. The side entrance was shut, but not locked, She served a station-hand named James Finlay and took from him a shilling. On going to put this coin where her money was kept, in a basin under the counter, she missed some of the money. Finlay went with her to the back and asked Mr Knight if he had taken any money away. He said "No." She counted what was left, and it should have been £3 or mora, but there was only 15s 6d. The evidence of John Knight, Mrs Knight, and James Finlay corroborated the Sergeant's.statement. Constable Dunn compared the footmarks with a boot belonging to aei cused, and two of them fitted.

The Bench said there waa strong suspicion. One of three was in the shop at night, but the evidence against accused was insufficient to maintain a conviction. The case would be dismissed. A further charge against Arthur Jones of vagrancy was also dismissed. In dismissing the information, the Bench warned the defendant against pursuing a course of drinking, which must ultimately land him into trouble. The hope was expressed that the narrow escape he had had that day would teach him to re« form and become a creditable member of society.