THE THEFT FROM BRODIE'S HOTEL.

Auckland Star, Volume XIX, Issue 157, 4 July 1888, Page 8

THE THEFT FROM BRODIE'S HOTEL.

Wm. Noble and George Stoddart, alia g Stewart, again appeared at the Police Court this morning to answer to the c._arge of stealing from the Naval -and Family Hotel, Pitt-street, £117 13s 3d, on the 23rd of June, the same being the property of Patrick Brodie, licensee of the hotel. MrH. C. Baddeley, R.M., was on the Bench.

Sergeant Gamble conducted bhe prosecution and Mr W. J. Napier appeared for bhe defendanb. The evidence of Detecbive Tuohy and Mrs Brodie has already been published in a previous issue. The first witness called this morning was Miss Elizabeth Brodie, daughter of Patrick Brodie, licensee of the Naval and Family Hotel, who deposed to cashing a £5 note for David Kean. At first-she thoughtit was a £1 note, and gave him 20s. She placed bhe nobe wibh the others upstairs in her mobher's bedroom. When told that ib was a £5 nobe she reburned again upstairs to look at it. Ib wa3 a note issued by the Union Bank of Australasia. Witness identified the note handed in by Debecbive Tuohy as tho one cashed by her. She remarked one sixpence in the money deposited in bhe cash-box, as it had a piece of mebal on the back, as if it had once been used for an earing. Witness identified the sixpence produced by Detecbive Tuohy as the ono she had nobiced.

Patrick Brodie, junior, deposed to noticing a peculiar sovereign in the till. It was dated 1837, and had a peculiar coat of arms. The name on the coin was Gulielmus 1111. He had never before seen a similar coin, and that was why he noticed it. The coat of arms was very distinct. David Keane, coal and firewood dealer, Custom-street West, deposed to being in the Waitemata Hotel and saw a man named 'William Soars tender a £5 note in payment for drinks. The change given was 20s and then it was pointed oub tlut it was a £5 note. He then gob the change for the £5 note. Witness gave the barman five one pound notes for bhe £5 note. When witness reburned to his office he took particular notice of that note and saw that it was a Napier note. Wibness picked out a similar note from thoso produced in Court. He believed that to be the same note. The same night witness parted wibh the £5 note to Patrick Brodie, junior, at the Naval and Family Hotel. Brodie handed ib. bo his sister, who brought back 20s in change. Brodie told his sister that it was a £5 pound nobe and she brought back five one pound notes. Andrew Johnston,nab proprietor.deposed bhat on the night in question he was standing ab the corner of the South British Insurance Buildings, Quedn-sbreeb, when two men accosted him about 10.15 o'clock and asked him to drive them bo the Harp of Erin Hotel. He did so and one wanted bo go to Mr Chaafe's stables. Wibness drove there. The stables are behind the grandstand at Ellerslie. Witness stopped at the corner, 150 yards from the stables, and they walked across the paddock to Mr Chaafe s house so far as he could see. The two men that he now saw in the dock were, bo bhe best of hia belief, the men whom he took at Ellerslie. When they returned Stoddart said bhab he had nob seen Mr Chaafe. The men were then dressed similarly to what they were in Court. Witness drove bhem back bo town to the Clarendon Hotel at the request of the man in dark clothes (Stoddart). Witness was paid by the other man. The fare was 15s, Wibness had since picked oub, bhe man in light clobhes from a number of other prisoners in the cells as being the one who paid his fare. John Chaafe deposed to the two prisoners coming to his houso at Ellerslie about 11.20 p.m. on Saturday, the 23rd of June. Witness opened the front door, an*l the two prisoners came inbo the fronb room, unasked. They walked in pretty quickly. Wibness told them to come out of that room, as the girl was sleeping there. They then wenb bhrough the kitchen oub of the boy'a dining-room at the back of the house. Witness brought the candle from his bedroom. When he entered the diningroom the two prisoners were standing at the table. Noble said " I have a parcel that I want you to take care of for two or three days." Stoddart was tying it up on the table at the time. It was an ordinary white handkerchief Witness said *' All righb," and the prisoners immediately left the house, leaving the parcel on the table. The prisoners appeared to be very excited. He had no doubt about the men, as he knew Noble. After they wenb witness heard something drive away. By the light of the moon he saw a cab driving away. Witness put the parcel left with him in a horse's nosebag. The parcel produced was similar to the one left by the prieoners. He did not open the parcel. The nose bag was hanging on the side of the wall, and he just dropped the parcel into it. Next morning he got up at 5 o'clock and put the parcel onthe table. It felt like coin, and he could disbinguish nobes through the corner. He called Thomas Brimmer, the boy who was sleeping in the house, and gave him the parcel which the prisoners left. It was in the same condition as when handed to witness by the prisoner. Witness told the lad to take it to the Police Station and give it to the Sergeant, which he did.

Cross-examined by Mr Napier: Witness sent the parcel to the police, as he did not like the look of tho parcel. He was not intimately acquainted with the prisoner although he had known Noble for the last three months. Witness had gone bail for Noble for £40. He knew that the prisoners made money at races. They were horsey men. He saw Noble at the races that Saturday. He had never before received money from the prisoners to keep for them. (Left Sitting.)