ALLEGED LARCENY.

Auckland Star, Volume XXV, Issue 169, 17 July 1894, Page 8

ALLEGED LARCENY.

A YOUTH IN COURT-

A SERIOUS CHARGE,

This morning, at tho Police Court, Mr R. S. Bush had before him a youth named Thomas Christopher Bowden (aged 18), charged with having about the month of January last stolen ono bale of kapok of the value of J. 2 16s, belonging to John Brown and others, carrying ou business as the Direct Supply Company ; and also, with having stolen, some time in April, 8 coils ol wire, valued at £14, irom the same firm. Mr Cotter appeared for the defence and pleaded iruilty, on behalf of the accused, to the charge ot having stolen the kapok. The other charge he asked the Bench to adjourn till two o'clock. Sergeant Gamble conducted the prosecution. Alexanda Roger Morrison, manager of the District Supply Company, on being examined, saii. the accused bad been employed by the Company on their premises in Stanley-street in making wire mattrasses. The accused was working in whab was called the upper store by himself, and had an opportunity of taking goods without anyone knowing it. From something which had come to his knowledge witness sent lor the accused on Friday the 29th of June and informed bim that he had received information of a serious matter going on ab the factory, and that he (tha accused) was implicated in ib. The accused afterwards made a statement to bim to the effect that ho took the kapok and the wire, and sold them to a man named Fisher, who had called ab the factory about January lasb, and told him that he would like to have a bale or two of kapok, and was prepared to give 6d per lb for it if ib were delivered to him in Hobson-wtreet. Ho had sole charge of the kapok, bub he would have to get the wire from another store, bho key of which waa kepb by the foreman of the factory. Frank George Allen, the foreman, said the accused kad been working at the factory in Stanley-street for aboub 18 months. He had given no authority to Bowden to bake away any wire and sell ib. Previous to Bowden being arrested, they had found five coils of wire planted behind some bales of flax in tho store. When the accused took the key to get any wire from the store iv which it was usually kept he had an opportunity of getting the wiie he was supposed to have sold. Chief Detective Grace deposed to arresting the accused on the 29th ulb. in reply to the charge of having committed bhe theft, the accused said he had taken bhe wire and sold ib tor £3 to a man named Fisher, and that he had subsequently baken ib back to the store as Fishor had informed him it wasn't safe to keep the wire as people were talking about tho matter. , ALLEGED RECEIVING. As an outcome of tho charges preferred against Thomas Chrisbopber Bowden, of having stolen one bale ot kapok and 8 coils of wire, about the months of January and April, from the Direct Supply Company's store in Stanley-street, a young man of resectable appearance, named George Fisher (alias Dent) was charged ab bhe Police Courb bhis morning with having received the said good 3, knowing them to be dishonestly obtained. Mr Baume appeared for the accused, and Sergeant Gamble prosecuted. The evidence was much the same as thab given in the previous cases againsb Bowden. Alexander Morrison, in course of crosscxaminabion by Mr Baume, said they had nob missed auy kapok from the store. As far as he knew, no kapok bad boen stolen. Soma time ago the accused had written to him, asking him for an invoice for some kapok which he had received from the Company. On looking up tho matter they found bhat thore had been no kapok charged to him. Witness called several times ab Fisher's house to see him on the subjecb but was always unable do see him. Frank Georgo Allen stated thab anyone outside the factory would have thought thab Bowden had tho sole control of the place where he was working. Benry Crawley, French-polisher, employed at the Company's store in Stanleystreet, gave evidence as to the accused coming to the store to see Bowden three or four times since February. A lad named Daniel Malone deposed to having been employed in bhe store for Bowden in the months of January and February last. One day an express was brought to the store, and two bales of kapok having been placed in it witness was instructed to deliver one to Fisher in Hob-son-street and one bo Bowden's house in Cook-streeb. He said he did as he was directed. [Lefb Sitting.]