"LIVING FREELY" IN AUCKLAND.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXIV, Issue 179, 29 July 1903, Page 5

"LIVING FREELY" IN AUCKLAND.

CLEPPERTON SETTLER'S EXPERIENCES.

In. charges of alleged theft, illegal pawning,..'and. ■ false " pretences, made against Edward Bailey at tne Folice Court this morning, before Mr T. Hutchison, S.M., some peculiar evidence was given l?y the'principal witness for the prosecution, a tiWppcirtoh 'set'fleiV wftb : appeared to have spent a couple of days in Auckland without preserving the slightest recollecAion of what happened. Bailey was charged .with stealing a \tfatch'..arid chain, value £12. the property of Alexander Bl'ackwood Waldie,' and also with illegally pawning it. Hi was further charged with obtaining £4 fromthe prosecutor by means of false pretences, pawning a diamond ring, value £25, without-his consent, and stealing a watch, value .£5.5/, also the property of Waldie. Chief-Detective Grace prosecuted, and .Mr J. R. Reed defended.

Alexander BlaokwoodWaldie, the prosecutor, said he was a settler, living at Clepperton, near New Plymouth. He came to A\ickland on April 3rd, when he had. in his possession £7 in. money, a silver, watch, gold chain, and a diamond ring. He "lived freely" for a couple of days, and met. the accused, who went to several hotels wjth him. The. day after he met the accused he missed Ins watch and chain. He returned to Now Plymouth on April Gth, and saw the accused on the steamer at Onehunga. Bailey sa-id he could gat the missing thing?, including the ring, which witness had also missed, and he told Bailey he would send the money on if accused would let him know how .much it would cost to get the articles back. Tn reply to a letter from Bailey he sent him a money order for £4, but did not receive any reply, though he wrote again about the matter. The total value of the ariicles was about £3(5. He had not gi-ven the accused authority to pawn any of them. Cross-examined by'Mr Reed, witness said he could not recollect selling the. ring to Bailey in the United Service Hotel for £3. upon condition that he should have the first right to buy it back. He could not recollect how he paid his passage to New Plymouth, and was ignorant of the fact that the. accused got the ticket for him. Neither could he remember ; anything of what happened in Auckland, and, questioned by His. .Worship, said he recollected coming to Auckland in the .train from OneWnga, but nothing eke. excepting •that, having no money, he walked back tq Onehungn: on the Sunday to catch the steamer., ..Mγ Reed explained that his instructions were.that the articles were pawned by the. prosecutor himself. Waldie, further questioned by Mr ,Reed, said he told Bailey at Onehnnga to ,lefc him knp.w what .expenses he had incurred on his behalf, and he would send the money to him; .' Mrs Maggie M, Waldie. wife of the last witness, was called to identify a diamond ring which had been recovered from the accused. An Auckland pawnbroker named Thomas John Olsen deposed to advancing money to Waldie on April 4th for a watch, the man stating that he wanted to raise, money to get to New Plymouth. The ticket was presented by Bailey on May 21st, and the watch released, but it was pledged again with a chain four days later by Bailey, who also pledged a <?old ring." giving the name o* Brown. The rin<j had been handed to the police. Detective Mellvenev, who arrested Uailey, stated that the accused replied to the charge of stealing the wntch and chain: "I got the watch and ehfin out of pawn on Saturday ■ Inst, ard forwarded them to Mr Waldie." Witness, however,.had the watch and chain in his possession at the time. . , Accused was committed for trial, reserving his defence, and pleading not guilty. Bail was allowed in two sureties of "£SO each. "" ' . .V