TWENTY-TWO CHARGES

Wairarapa Times-Age, 15 September 1938, Page 8

TWENTY-TWO CHARGES

TWO MAORIS BEFORE COURT BREAKING & ENTERING ALLEGED LARGE QUANTITY OF GOODS ON DISPLAY The public gallery in the Masterton Magistrate’s Court was crowded this morning when two Maoris, Joseph Uru and Hawea Governor, faced twentytwo charges relating to breaking and entering, theft and car conversion. The Clerk was engaged for 15 minutes in reading out the charges. One of the solicitors’ benches was packed with exhibits and it looked more like a shelf in a grocer’s store. Messrs E. G. Eton and E. M. Hodder, J’s.P., were on the Bench, and Detec-tive-Sergeant W. Kane conducted the case for the police. HAMUA STORE Ida Bailey, daughter of the owner of the Post Office store in Hamua, said she looked after the business for her father. No one lived on the premises. On June 12 she was at the store at about 3.30 p.m. when she locked it up mid left everything in order. When she returned the following morning, the‘door was half open, and there was evidence that the store had been thoroughly ransacked. The posting boxes had also been opened. A check-up on the contents of the shop revealed that the goods named in the charge were missing to the value of £lO 9s Id. Cash amounting to £3 10s was taken, and also benzine to the value of £2 0s 44 d. As the result of a message on the morning of August 26, she went to the store and found that the door had again been forced open. A large quantity of goods was missing, including two Government mail bags. The total value of the goods, was £33 2s 6d. Goods produced in Court were similar to what were taken from the store. As the result of the two visits to the store, the value of goods taken amounted to £47 14s loj-d. Property recovered, including the main bags amounted to £33 8s 7d.

Mr G. Bailey, a farmer of Hamua, said he owned the Post Office store, and he went on to corroborate the evidence of his daughter.

PAHIATUA RAILWAY STATION George William Funke, a clerk employed at the Pahiatua Railway Station, said the station was broken into on June 12, entry being gained by forcing a window. The offices were ransacked, and about 2s 6d in small change was missing. He identified an ebony ruler as the one taken from the station. Two suitcases containing wearing apparel, were also missing, and witness that a suitcase produced was similar to the one taken. The total value of the goods taken was £5l 12s 6d. The property recovered amounted to 17s 6d. Veronica Mary Rutherford, of Makuri, owner of the suitcases, identified two articles produced. The total value of the goods in her suitcases was £4O 2s 9d. DAIRY FACTORIES William Bailey said he was first assistant at the Pahiatua Dairy factory. He described finding the office door having been forced open, and the inside of the office thoroughly ransacked. Nothing, however, was missing. Charles Henry Gallon, manager of the Riverbank Dairy Factory, said that on June 13 he found that the door had been forced and about 245, 91b of butter, two bottles of wine and a bottle of sherry, to the value of £2 Bs, were missing. Francis Court, manager of the Community Stores at Woodville, said that as the result of the store being broken into on June 13 goods to the value of £1 15s lid were missing. So far none had been recovered. SERVICE STATIONS. Ronald Munro, service station proprietor, of Woodville, said he had found that the main door of the station had been forced open. The contents of the office were scattered on the floor, but ouly about 3s in coppers and a battery were missing. He identified the battery produced. The total value of the property taken amounted to £3 13s. Henry Sulliphant, a Woodville service station proprietor, told the Court that on June 13 the door of the office was forced open and the inside ranracked. Goods, a watch, stamps to the value of 28s, and £3 16s 6d in cash were missing, the total value being £7 3s 6d. He identified the watch produced. Henry Reginald Skinner, a Woodville garage assistant, said that on June 13 when he went to the garage he found that the lock had been broken off, and the door had been opened. Nothing was taken. BUTCHER’S SHOP George William McKay, a butcher of Woodville, found his shop broken into on June 13. The shop had been ransacked and the till pulled out. As far as he knew nothing was taken. Eric Stitt, manager of Yates’ Stores, Woodville, found on going to work on June 13, that an attempt had been made to force the door with a jemmy. MASTERTON STORE Thomas B. Robb, a store keeper of Renall Street, Masterton, said that on June 11 he found the lock broken off, and the door of his storeroom was opened. Goods, including a 701 b bag of sugar, were missing and had not been recovered. The missing goods were valued at £3 Ils. PETROL DEPOTS.

An Atlantic Union Oil Company clerk, George Arthur Barr, said on June 11 he found that the office at the depot had been broken into. Entrj was gained through a window. The interior of the office had been ranracked, and a torch valued at 5s was missing. Walter Stuart Dyer, a ciei’K employed by the Vacuum Oil Company at Mastertcn, said he discovered the side window of the Rcnall Street depot open on the morning of June 11. Only two keys were missing. Walter Charles Day, manager of the Shell Oil Comopany, said that on June 11 he found that the padlock on the gate at the side entrance had been broken off and another gate had been forced open. Entry to the office was gained by forcing a window. There were indications that someone had been inside the office but there was nothing missing. Walter Douglas Howe, an employee of the Texas Oil Company said the front gate and the door to the office were forced open on June 11. A cash box containing 5s 4d was missing, also a cheque for £l3 2s lOd. The cash box was later found near the gate. It had

been forced open and its contents were missing. CLAREVILLE POST OFFICE. Amy Patricia Hurley, said that on June 10 and 11 she was relieving postmistress at Clareville. The Post Office was broken into on June 11,. entrance being gained by forcing a side window. One inside door had been forced open and two others had been opened apparently with keys. The office had been ransacked, the till pulled out and the letter box forced. A registered letter was stolen and Is 6d in small change was also missing. A strange key was found inside the lock of the front door. MISSING CARS. William Dixon Allan said he put his motor-car in a private garage in Crayne Street, Carterton. The padlock on the door was broken off on August 17 and the car was missing. It was later recovered at Solway. It had travelled about 30 miles. Certain property he had left in the car to the value of about 27s was missing. Percy G. Ramsay said he put his motor-car in his garage at home on August 25. The door of the garage was not locked and the ignition key was left in the car, which was missing the next morning. It was later found abandoned at Solway. There were indications that the car had travelled a considerable distance. Certain property he had left in the car was missing. S. M. Baird said he locked his motorcar in the garage about 6 p.m. on August 25. On the following morning he found that the padlock had been wrenched off the door. The car was 'till there, the ignition having been locked. « Robert James Young said he locked his car in his garage on June 10. The next morning there was evidence of an attempt to convert the car. The padlock was broken off the door, but the car was still there. Thomas Collerton described the conversion of a motor-truck belonging to the Public Works Department. It was later recovered by the police. The Court adjourned at this stage.