ALLEGED BURGLARY.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XXXV, Issue 8215, 12 August 1915, Page 4

ALLEGED BURGLARY.

A HINDS STORE ENTERED

ACCUSED COMMITTED FOR TRIAL

Frank A lion was charged before Messrs Vv. W. White and G. W. Andrews, .J'.s.P., at the Ashburton Police Court this morning, that on or about July 20, at Hinds, he did by night break and enter tho shop of ono William James Stewart McDowell, and steal therefrom goods to the valuo of £25 9s.

Samuel John Kirkwood McDowell, son of W. J. S. McDowell, storekeeper, Hinds,''stated tliat he- was in.charge of the store on the night of July 20. He had locked up the store at 9 o'clock that night. 'Everything wan then all right-in and about the store. He had passed the store about 4.30. next morning, and shortly after he had -seen the. end window broken out. He went into the shop, of which both doors were locked as he had left them, and . had found a number of articles missing, and a lot strewn all over the floor. Witness produced a list of the articles missing, which included tobacco, cigarettes, pipes, watches, chocolate, tinned fish, condensed milk, tea, jam, tinned fruit, cocoa, watchguards, and other articles. Witness said that_ several articles produced by the police were similar to those taken from the shop, and others had been taken. Accused asked if witness had any mark on some of,the tobacco, produced, which accused claimed as Im own property. . ' Witness replied in the negative. William James Stewart McDowell, ' storekeeper, of Hinds, stated that he was not in the store? when the theft was discovered. Ho did not hear a-boiit it till about 8 o'clock on the morning of July 21. He. recognised some of the goods produced as his own, and stated that th 6 others were similar to those kept in his shop.

Edward Henry Stewart McDowell, son of -the; previous witness, stated that he drove the store cart for his father. On July 17 he was at Lismore delivering, goods. He had seen accused that day- Accused had^bought some goods from witness, and had paid for them. Accused was living in a hut near the Maronan Bridge at the time. The hut was about sis or seven miles from the store.

Andrew .-Heenon. farmer, of Mayfield, said ho kjiew accused, and ■that on July 24 he had sold witness some tobacco, of which, he said he had bought a supply which ho wanted to got rid of, as ho did not want to be carrying so much about. Witness had bought a pound of the tobacco at 6d a stick. The usual price for that kind of tobacco was 9d to JOd per stipk. Joseph GrippH, farmer, of Anama, gave evidence that he had bought-fivo plugs of tobacco from accused at 6d per stick on July 24. The tobacco ho had bought was similar to that produced in Court.

John James Q'Grady, police constable in charge of the Geraldine Police Station, deposed that he had interviewed accused on July 27. It was about 14 miles from the Arundel Bridge, where he saw accused, to the Maronan Bridge.. Witness searched accused's swag. He had found nine pounds and two sticks of tobacco, which he said had been given to him by people in North Canterbury. The tobacco was fresh-looking. It did not appear to have been loxig out of a shop. Accused also had a leather watch-guard in the pocket of his waistcoat. It appeared not to have beenxused. Ho also had a nickel-plated watch, which he said ho had bought with the watch-guard in Christcburch in May. Accused had stated' that he had been working on a station in North Canterbury about six weeks ago, and that he had been .swagging since round Mount Somers, May field', and Methven districts. He intended making for a station in Orari Gorge. Witness arrested accused and charged him with vagrancy, when he was remanded to Ashburton. On the war to the police station accused had stated that 'ho had bought some of the-.tobanco, and that ho had not been in Ashburton since May. Tho distanco from the camp at Maronan Bridge, to Mr McDowell's storo v>ps about six miles.

Bertram Reginald Kidd, police, constable, stationed at Ashburton, stated that ho had gone, to Hinds on July 21 to make inquiries about the storo being broken into. He bad found a large i plat© glass window broken and re- , 'moved from one end of the store. Ho had found goods scattered about ' the shop, and bad taken .in inventory of , all the• article** missing. On the follow- i ing day he. had gone to Hinds *md ! made inauirics along the road to Lis- ' more and Maronan. He had called at the hut near the Maronan Bridge, which was about five or six miles from Hinds. He had there seen, accused, who said be liH,d,been there since tho previous clay. He had asked accused if he had seen.any strange persona about the district, and accused had stated that he had not. Accused had stated that he was going to Geraldine. Witness had seen Accused's swag on tho floor of the hut, but coiild see no sign of the stolen property. On July 29, witness had made a search in tho Hinds, River-bod about ihree or four chains below the bridge and close to the hut where accused, was camped. In some gorge about three or four chains from the hut, ho had found a kerosene tin containing a number of papers, which were wrappers from various goods, and 'two ■newspapers dated July 17 ISVo a - cardboard box which had. contained tobacco, and a box which had contained pills. Twenty yards fuithor 0n.., witness had Found * two kerosene tins among tho gorse.. " These contained five two-ounce tins of tobacco, a tin of cocoa, part of a packet of matches, and various other articles, and some men's clothing. Accused pleaded not guilty. He stated thiit lie know nothing about the articles produced.

Ho was committed for trial at the Supreme Court in Timaru.