R.M. COURT.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XII, Issue 4009, 11 January 1892, Page 3

R.M. COURT.

MASTERTON.-MONDAY.

(Befoie Messrs Burton Boys and J. Butoment, J. P,'s.)

Petty Laiiceny.

Charles Maybeywas charged with thai he did on January 9th, feloniously steal, take, and carry away one small cake of soap, of the value of eightpence, the property of Messrs J. Graham and Co, The accused, who was represented by Mr 0. P. Skipper, pleaded not guilty. Edward Collins Jack, storeman for Messrs Graham & Co,, stated that the accused came to him at the door of the ironmongery department and dtated that he wanted a bar of soap, He referred him to the grocery department, but gave him no permission to take the soap, The soap was valued at eightpence. The accused did not appear perfectly sober at the time,

By Mr Skipper: He did not see the accused take the soap. He told him to go to the other department and be

would serve him \»hon ho was at * liberty, The soap was on an open stand, and customers could see it being taken, He had known the accused for two or three years, and he had frequently purchased goods for bis employer. Constable May deposed that he was in the shop of Messrs Graham and Co. on Saturday night when he saw the accused standing at the end of the counter, Ho appeared to bo dodging about, and witness therefore watched him, After a time ho saw him pick up'a packet and put it in his pocket. Mr Graham went up to him and asked him if he was being served. He replied that he was, and left the shop. Witness afterwards called him back and searched him in the presence of the last witness, when the soap was found. The accused did not deny having taken the soap, but said he had been told to do so by the last witness. Mr Graham said ho could not overlook the offence, Br Mr Skipper: There were four

or five customers beside himself in

the shop when the soap was taken, but none but himself could have seen theoffence committed, John Graham, storekeeper, deposed that he saw the accused in his store on Saturday las:, but he made no purchases. He asked the accused if ho was being served and he said he was He gave hira no authority to take the soap, The accused was not a customer and had never hod anything booked, By Mr Skipper: He could not say that he had seen the accused at his Bhop before. He may have been there without tbe witness observing him, When witness spoke to bira the accused appeared flustered. The theft was, no doubt, a petty one, but as there bad been so much of tins kind of thing in the past he could not let it go past. He did not wish to press this charge, but moroly wanted to make it a warning to others, Mr Skipper urged that his client was not a member of tho criminal

class, He was thoroughly respectable honest, and had only taken soap under a misunderstanding. The offence was not a criminal one, and lie would ask the Bench to take cognisance oftho previous character of the accused and deal with the case as a trivial one, The accused, on oath, staled that he went into the shop of Messrs Graham and Co. on Saturday night and said lie wanted a piece of soap. The man who was there told him to go into the adjoining shop and get it, He went iu and took the soap, intending to pay for it on tho Monday. He had teen thirty years in the district, and had nover been charged with such an offence before. There were a good many people in the shop when he took the soap, and it was daylight, ,/' He was now prepared to pay for the soap. The accused wbb severely admonished by tbo Bench and sontenccd to bjx hours' imprisonment.