THEFTS OF BENZINE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20162, 24 January 1929, Page 15

THEFTS OF BENZINE.

SYSTEMATIC plan adopted.

JARANAKI FARMERS ROBBED.

OSTENSIBLE BOTTLE DEALER.

[BV TELEGRAPH.—OWN CORRESPONDENT.] NEW PLYMOUTH, Wednesday.

In outlining the case against Jack McDowell, who pleaded guilty to seven charges of tht theft of benzine and oil in tho Police Court to-day, Detective Meiklejohn said: "In the daytime this rian went about collecting bones, bottles and sacks, and kept his eyes open for places where he could obtain benzine, and went at night and collected it."

The valiib of tho .stolen goods was assessed at £l2 Bs. Tho accused pleaded guilty and elected to bo dealt with sumuiari y. The detective said that for two months the accused had had a motor-lorry, and had dealt in and around Taranaki, and as far afield as Wanganui. He had been accompanied by another man, who was at present ill and unable to appear in Court. They had gone about the country and removed quantities of benzine from sheds, garages and stacks on the roadside in the country, which had been left for farmers to collect.

Tho two men had lived together in a ."bach" in Aubrey Street. For some weeks before Christmas suspicions had been aroused, and tho second man and a man named Withers had been brought into the police station on a charge of stealing cheese. As a result of this McDowell was apprehended, and when taxed with the theft of (ho berizino he admitted the charge. They had evidently worked systematically m locating and picking up tho benzine. McDowell was .51 years of age, and was a seaman and a labourer. The man who operated with him was much younger, being only 19 years of age. The benzine bad been used in McDowell's lorrv.

When Thomas John Withers, a married man with two children, was charged with the theft of cheese valued at £5 3s from the Patua Dairy Company and of two rases ol benzine, the detective said these thefts had been brought about through his association with the other man. McDowell was remanded for sentence until Saturday morning, and the case against Withers was adjourned pending the receipt of the probation officer's report.