THEFT OF CLOTHES

A sentence Of two months' imprisonment was to-day imposed by Mr. E. Page, S.M., in the Magistrate's Court on Frederick Percival Towler, a labourer, aged 28, who pleaded guilty to stealing a suit of clothes valued at !!ss. the property of Leslie Sloightholme. The accused was occupying a room at an hotel, said Chief-Detective Lopdell, and in this room the son of thp proprietor had left some clothing. Thp accused took the suit and sold it to a second-hand dealer for 10s. "He is a remittance man, getting about £2 a week," concluded the Chief Detective, "and he is evidently addicted to drink.''

From the dock Towler said tliat the trouble was that he could not. stop drinking. Ho would not have committed the theft had lie not been drinking, ami he asked the Magistrate to give him a chance to go into the country and get right away from hotels. The Magistrate: "You have had a number of previous chances, Towler, which you didn't avail yourself of. You were on probation, which you did not observe, and then you wore convicted of theft."