GUESTS ROBBED

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 56, Issue 63, 26 December 1935, Page 5

GUESTS ROBBED

THIEF IN CHRISTCHURCH HOTEL. JEWELS AND MONEY WORTH £2OO ALL THE PROPERTY RECOVERED (Per Press Association.) CHRISTCHURCH, December 25. Property in the form of jewellery and other valuables, including money, was stolen from guests in Warner’s Hotel to-night. The total value of the property stolen is about £2OO. The police arrested a man who had booked as a guest at the hotel as having come from another centre, but who is really a resident of Christchurch. All the stolen was recovered. The accused, it-is stated, was drinking in. the bar and went upstairs, as he said, to have a sleep. He returned to the bar some time later and he attracted attention by his apparent agitation and nervousness. It is believed that he stole the property from guests’ bedrooms during the time that he was absent from the bar. The thefts were discovered an hour later and the arrest was made shortly before midnight. THE ACCUSED MAN REMANDED. TWO ENGLISH! LADIES ROBBED. CHRISTCHURCH, This Day. Charged with the theft of goods and money to the value of £l9l 11s 3d on December 25, George Roche, whose address and occupation were not disclosed on the charge-sheet, appeared in the Magistrate’s Court this morning before Mr Reid, S.M. He was remanded until to-morrow morning. The goods and money were the property of Mrs Elsie Graham, of Southport, England, who is a guest at Warner’s Hotel. Chief-Detective Dunlop said that Roche was arrested in the early hours of this morning as a result of a complaint received from the' hotel. The charge against Roche was in respect to one guest at the hotel only. He would also be charged with a fairly substantial theft from Lady Samuel’s room, which had been “cleaned out.” One of the staff had also lost some articles. Property, valued at £2OO, found in Roche’s possession, would also lead to his being charged with theft from a house at Cashmere. Mr Dunlop asked that Roche be remanded until to-morrow, when he would proceed with charges in relation to the thefts from Warner’s Hotel, to enable Lady Samuel, who is from London, and Mrs Graham, to leave for the West. Coast in continuance of their tour of the South Island.