FAMILY CHARGED WITH THEFT.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume XLIX, Issue 12641, 31 October 1905, Page 7

FAMILY CHARGED WITH THEFT.

PALMERSTON PEOPLE'S STRANGE

EXPERIENCE

A PEEP INTO THE FRIED FISH TRADE.

EXTRAORDINARY CASE

(Special to "Chronicle.")

AUCKLAND, Saturday. A Palmerston North family named Frederick Augustus Awdry, Clara Jana Awdry (the wife), 'and Constance Lela Awdry (daughter), who left Palmerston North a few months ago for Auck-land.-have had some novel experiences in the fair northern city, and finally found themselves in the Police Court charged with theft. The story told in evidence was a most extraordinary one.

It appears that the family secured employment from an Austrian named Peter Franchi, the keeper of an oyster saloon near the Queen street wharf— the father as shopman," the daughter as waitress, and the mother to help in the kitohen. They had sleeping 'accommodation on the saloon premises. Mrs. Awdry only remained for a few days, but the others continued in Franchi's employ until the final ructions occurred, when the Awdrys parted company with their Austrian employer. Subsequently, accompanied by a policeman, Franchi made a visit to the new residence taken up by the Awdry family, and seized upon a number of articles of clothing, bedding, table cutlery, rug, etc., which he claimed were his property. The family was charged with having stolen the articles, and arrested. When the case came before Mr. Dyer, S.IVL, in the Auckland Polioe Court on Friday morning, the accused —a most respectable looking trio— were not compelled to stand in the dock,' but chairs were provided for tho ladies. They were defended by three lawyers—Messrs. Lundon and Singer, of Auckland, and Mr. A. B. Oarty, of Feilding. Chief Detective Marsack conducted the prosecution. The complainant Franchi gave evidence, that the goods seized were the property of himself or his wife, or exactly similar to their property. He was then put under fire by Mr. Lundon, and the following remarkable bit of cross-examination resulted :—

Mr. Lundon: Did you not quarrel M'ith Mrs. Awdry because she protested against your taking down drunken men by charging them two or three times over for their meals?— Witness: No. I never took down any drunken men. .

Did you not have a row with Mrs. Awdry because she did not scrape the remnants of /'potato chips" from ono man' 6 plate on to that of the next customer? —No, certainly not. Mr. Lundoa .:• Did you not complain when she was scraping the potato chips into the pig barrel, and order her to take them out again?— No. ,

Did you not say to her on one occasion, "You rotten —— You wasteful . I'll break your — neck if you don't stop putting them into the pig tub when they cost me so .much"? —No.

Did they not threaten to run you out of the kitchen if you did not stop talking to them like that?— No. I'd like to see them run me out of my own kitchen.

Did you not threaten to have them up for assault tor putting you out of the kitchea on that occasion?— No.

Did you not on one occasion call Mrs. Awdry "A — "?—No, never. Did she not hit you across the mouth and make her knuckle bleed?— What! That woman?

y es ._Why, she'd hit anybody. She smacked me because I said she ought to know something about the nightdress I had lost

Do you own the Coromandel OysterSaloon —I have an interest in it.

Don't you visit that place pretty often?— Every week. Is there a "Mrs. Franchi" living there also?— Witness (laughing): She is my sister. A "Mrs. Franchi" ?—No.

Is there any lady living there whom you introduced to these people as ''Mrs. Franchi"?—No, never. I said "This is my sister-" There is a litt/le boy who, you said, is "little Franchi."—Yes. That's John. He came from Austria.

You came from Austria also, I think? Yes, but I, have not been there for the last 29 years. Isn't there a great deal of trouble between you and your wife over the Coromandel Oyster Saloon?— No. But those people put me in a newspaper about it-

Does your interest in the Coromandel Oyster Saloon take you there at three o'clock m the morning?—l go whenever I like—when my business is closed.

"What do yoti go for?— Private business.

Was there trouble between you and Mrs. Awdry over your practice of selling stinking crayfish?—l have never sold any, to my knowledge. Of course I can't tell what's inside a crayfish.

His Worship: Is it true you had a row over it?— No.

Mr. Lundon: Do you buy fish from a man named Andrew?— Sometimes.

Do you remember a transaction over about fifteen pounds of whitebait which he sold to you, and which you said was rotten?— Yes. I would not take the rotten fish.

Did you refuse to pay for the fish?— I threw the stuff into the pig tub, and I told him ; and he allowed me something for it. Then, I think, the supply of whitebait became short?— Yes.

Is it not a fact that you insisted on this man Awdry taking that same whitebait, days afterwards, out of the pig tub, washing it, and selling it to the public at a shilling' a pint?— No. That's not true. If it were, the people must have been damaged all right. Mr. Lundon then asked whether witness had any tumblers or other articles

of the Union Steamship Company or tho Central Hotel.—Witness replied that there were none to his knowledge.

Mr. Lundon asked witness whence he obtained a certain red-bordered tea towel which, Mr. Lundon alleged, bore the branding of the Central Hotel.— Witness replied that it was brought there by one of his assistants named George. Mr. Lundon: Is that one of the men who signed the letter of praise fo you in the "Star," after his Worship had fined you for over-working your employees?— Yes, that's the man. You gave these Awdrys three minutes to get out of your shop?— Yes. And there was a rush and scramble ■Co gather up their things into this rug and get out?—Oh, no. They were gathering themiip little by little during the night

Tho next witness was a young man named George William Gray, who said ha was manager and buyer for Messrs. Do Luen Bros., clothiers, of Palmerston North. He stated that he had known the Awdrys at Palmerston North, where they were among his first customers. They bore a good name in Palmer siton North. The rug produced aa stolen from Franchi was one which ho sold to Mrs. Awdry on June 27, 1903, for £1 7s. He was positive about the rug. He saw it eighteen months ago in their trap, and compared it with another that they were buying. Witness produced a copy of the entry of the purchase in his firm's books, but this was rejected, his Worship holding that only the original entry could be admitted in evidence.

The further hearing was adjourned till Monday.