THE HAMILTON BURGLARY CASE.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXII, Issue 2645, 25 June 1889, Page 2

THE HAMILTON BURGLARY CASE.

WaI.TKU UKOKiIB WII.UIDJMUY, (HI the information of Sergt, Mc(!r;ith, was charged at the Police Court", Hamilton, mi Sat.irday, .limn ii2n«l, before \V. X. Searaneke and Isaac Coales, Ksqs., .r.P : s., with feloniously entering ti-'- Hamilton Borough Council Chambers '<n Saturday. •''•"'« I-" , - , , between tiiu hours .if 11 and VI p.m.. and st"aliii" therefrom a receipt b.mk, valm , , I- , . —Sorsjt, MctJrath deposed that between 11 and 12 o'clock mi Saturday night (.him: 1">) he was mi duty in plain clothes in Y'letoriastrect, Hamilton, and walking in the direction of the railway station. When between tli'j Commercial Hotel and Mr Scott's store ho met the prison;!-, who was cumins in the opposite direction. He then walked over to tiie Council Chambers and went round the building, am! found all the windows were secure ; he usually did this as it had been reported to him that coal was cintini'a'ly being stolen. Ho then returned to the other side, of the street, and when near Mr Seott's do ,rway the prisoner jumped out mi to the foutpath fioin the recess isi the doorway and wa'ked past him. lie then went into the doorway which prisoner had leli, and kept wateiiin"him. Prisoner crossed the street, and went, to the front dour of the Chambers. Saw a ligl tin the near front window and tried to look through but could not as the window is frosted over. This is the room in which the Council .safe is kepc. The light remained in this room for soino little time and he next saw it in the room occupied by Mr Turner, secretary to the Hospital Board. Through this window he had a good opportunity to see the prisoner as some of the frosting was off one of the panes. Saw prisoner searching through the, pigeon holes and papers in this oirico. Prisoner then wont into the town clerk's ollico and commenced looking through some papers on the end of the table. After this he leant over the table and commenced to write, and after doing this went into the firstmentioned room again, and after a slioit time came <mt and closed the green baize d.Hir between the. two rooms. Hid the same in Mr Turner's office leaving the front ofliees in darkness. The Serjeant then went t:> the back to get a look at him but could not on account of tin; frosting of the windows. He then came, down the street towards the Commercial Hotel. He met a boy named Earnest Mori is, mid asked himtocimoiip to the Council Chambers. B:foiv, he Rot to the front he heard the window going up, and on turning round met the boy. who said, " He is cumins tlin.iigli the window." Whin he got to'the back corner he saw the prisoner about .six yards from the building, making towards the river which is only :■- short distance away, and the bank is all covered with fur/.e and scrub. He hastened up and caught prisoner, and before he could turn round pinioned him from behind. Prisoner came, quietly to th« front of the building, but then'attempted to getaway, but after a struggle he managed to get tlie handculfson him. He then took prisoner to the station, and on searching him found the, receipt book produced. Prisoner on being locked up, commenced to cry and said, " 1 have to blame the drink for all my trouble.' . On Sunday went with Mr Turner and examined the premises, .remind all the windows secure except the one the prisoner had got out of, and on the catch of this iino there was a mark apparently made recently and by Home hard instrument. The prisoner is a stranger to Hamilton, having been winking for ab:,ut a week with Mr Frear. Since then the cheque book (produced) had been given him by the Town Clerk who had found it on his table on Monday, 17th, with writing on it, an 1 he said that whoever was in on the Saturday night had written it. Tins morning lie had let prisoner see the writing, and said it would be some of the evidence against him.. Prisoner said " I must have been very drunk." To the Court: Prisoner was not drunk when arrested. In the scufHn a, small bottle of English beer about half full fell from his pocket. Ho had only Is 2d in money on him when locked up, mid had no instrument which would be likely to make the murk on the window. Earnest Morris corroborated the evidence of the Sergeant with reference to rho arrest -and search of prismier.— C. J. \V. Barton, Tov/n Clerk-elect of tho Borough of Hamilton, recognised the receipt book and cheque book (produced) as borou?h property. He read the writing on the cheque book as follows: "A poor burglar "called on Sunday evening and found nothing but a dead sell and worse luck, A (word illegible). A.W.W. —Tho Court here adjourned, nnd after an hour's deliberation, the J.P.'s again took their seats and dismissed the charge of breaking and entering, as there was a flaw in the evidence. Prisoner pleaded guilty to stealing the receipt book, and waa sentenced to three months' imprisonment in Mount YAen Gaol with hard labour.