ALLEGED WHARF THEFTS.

Auckland Star, Volume XLII, Issue 195, 17 August 1911, Page 6

ALLEGED WHARF THEFTS.

MISSING CASE OF TOBACCO. AUCKLAND EXAMINATION SHED. "ANYONE COULD TAKE ANYTHING." EVIDENCE IN PILLAGE CHARGE. (Continued from page 5.) At the Police Court this morning before .Mr. E. C. Cutten, S.M., Joseph Ehrman and John Alexander Melntyre were charged that on or about Ist November, IUIO, they stole from the Auckland wharf a ease of Old Judge tobacco, valued £37, the property of Winstone, Ltd. Mr. iSinger appeared for Ehrman, and Mr. Lundon for Melntyre. Chief-Detective Marsack said that in the early part of November, 1910, two cases of Old Judge cigarette tobacco arrived from Sydney .by the Hauroto for Winstone and Co. These were discharged from the ve&sel into a shed on Hobson-street wharf, and there seen by the consignee's agent, who employed a carter to remove them to the examination shed. They were removed to the xhed, and next day when a carter was sent to take the goods away one case was missing. Search was maje, and the accused Melntyre, who was working in thp shed, said that no tobacco at all had come into the shed. On 3rd November a carter named Brown was engaged by Melntyre to take a case of tobacco away from the examination shed to Mr. Glover's store in Fort-street. At ths store the ease vvas taken charge of by Ehrman, and it had never since been SCCD. TID3 TOBACCO MLSSED. Duncan McDonald, Wharf foreman for Winstone and Co., said that about Ist November, I'JIO, two cases of tobacco were consigned to Winstone and Co. by the Hauroto. He saw one case which bore the words Old Judge Tobacco. On Ist November he instructed a carter Thwaites to take the two cases from tne Hobson-street -wharf to the examination shed. On 3rd November witness went to the examination shed to take possession of the tobacco and found only one case there. About the next day, when inquiring for the lost case, he saw Melntyre in the shed and asked him if he had seen two cases of tobacco in the shed. Melntyre replied off-handedly that he hadn't seen any case of tobacco. The value of the case of tobacco was

£3O 8/6. The case was never found, and nobody had ever been authorised to take it. To Mr. Singer: He saw only one case of tobacco, not being present when it was discharged from the ship. Though the ship arrived on Ist November, ■witness didn't see that case till the 3rd November, in the examination shed, about f) ajn. Thwaites would not tako the cases from the examination shed into bond, as he was not working for the firm. The remaining case was taken to the bond about 10 a.m. on the 3rd. There was no address on the case. A LOOSE SYSTEM. To Mr. Lundon: His firm lost only that particular case of tobacco during IiUO. Personally he did not know thai the two cases went into the examination shod. Ho had never known of goods boing "stopped" on the way to the examination shed. There may have been a matter of pillage of a package or so, but never of a whole <case. At the examination shed there was no receipt given for the goods. From the moment the 'goods left the ship's side till they reached the bond, the consignees were at the mercy of the carters, but he had not had any experience of cases going astray on the way. The consignees got no acknowledgment at all from the Customs for good* put into the shed. If the case got into the shed at all it would be opened by a customs officer. Anybody could walk into the shed and take out anything he wanted if he knew anything about the working of the shed. Immediately an entry was passed and a package taken possession of at the ship's side, the consignee was responsible for the duty, whether the package got to bond or not. The consignee was not notified at all if the package didn't reach the bond. To Detective Marsack: There was not the slishtest doubt that there was a ease of tobacco missing from the Hauroto shipment. The firm had paid duty on one case which it received, and tha other case had not been received from the bond, that was the missing case. FROM WHARF TO SHED.

Harold Howe, assistant receiver for Winstone and Company, said that two cases of tobacco arrived by the Hauroto for Winstone and Company, and he got the carter Thwaites to take them to the examination shed. Witness picked out the cases and got them put on Thwaites' cart. Robert Thorley, labourer on the wharf, employed by Winstone and Company, stated that Ist November he saw two cases of tobacco on Hobson-street wharf, marked T.H.H.. ar.d he loaded them on to Thwaites' cart. So far as he kuew they went off the wharf. Thos. Thwaites, carrier. Arch Hill, snid Unit on Ist November he loaded the two cases of tobacco on Hobsonstreet wharf, and took them to the examination shed. "Old Judge" was marked on one of the cases; it may have been cm both. It came to his knowledge afterwards that onr was missing. BEEN IN" THE EXAMINATION SHED. ■ lohn Grieve, employed as delivery clerk by Carr and llaslam, stated that when inquiry for this tobacco was being made McLntyro asked witness to get away two eases of tobacco fori Arthur Nathan and Company. There was then tobacco in the shed—one or two eases, he could not say which. He referred to these, but Mclntyre told witness that that was not Nathan's, that it was in 'the other shed. FROM SHED TO GLOVER'S STORE. Robert Alexr. Brown, carter for C'arr and liuslani, said that about 3rd Kovem- , ber he was loading at B shed when "' Mclntyre came,up and asked him to go * to the examination shed as he wanted witness to ran a ease out for him to • Glover's store. Witness backed his cart .' to the shed, and Mclntyre rolled a case '.. out to the door, and the two of them put it on the cart. The only brand witness could see on the case was Old Judge in black letters. Witness took the cme to Glover's store in Fort-street, where Ehrman met him and told him to run llic case-into the store. Mclntyre paid him next morning. The payment was of, which was more than the usual pay. He had since then carted a case for Mclntyre to Glower's store, and been paid the same. He thought that about eighteenpence would be a fair charge. ;. IF SINGLE HE WOULD GET AWAY. He met Mclntyre on 14th July, and ,"„ was„askod..how he got on at the detec- "* .fee office. When Informed that witness had givea a statement which yna the

truth Melntyre seemed rather dejected, and asked witness to go to Mr. Lundon's office in the morning. Witness did not go. Melntyre said that if he was single lie .would get away. THE ARREST. Deteptive Powell stated that on Sunday, loth July, ho and Detective Hollis interviewed Melntyre at his house. Accused afterwards accompanied them to the detective office, where Brown's statement was read to him. He made no reply nt the time, and afterwards said he had no explanation to make, that lie had seen Mr. Lundon, and would refer them to him. He was then arrested. Detective Hollis gave evidence as to Ehrman being charged with the theft. Both necused reserved their defence, and were committed to the Supreme Court for trial. Melntyre was allowed bail in the same sum, and on the same conditions as hitherto.

LOST FROM THE WHAHF. GOODS VALUED AT £250. STRING OF THEFTS ALLEGED. AGAINST JOSEPH EHRMAN. Joseph Ehrman was charged on nine informations that on 4th April, 16th April, lftth May, 20th May, Bth' June, 25th June, Ist July, and 11th July, he stole various goods (valued at about .€250) from the Auckland wharf; and also that on 19th July he escaped from custody. Chief Detective Marsack said that these cases were much on a par with the other cases. Merchants had ordered goods, which had arrived at Auckland wharf and vanished. The next thing heard of the goods was that they were being sold by Ehrman in different parts of the country. The cases were laid against Ehrman alone, although the probability was that others were concerned. In fact others must have been concerned in the matter, as Ehrman could not have obtained the goods by himself. The prosecution would be able to show that the goods were disposed of by Ehrman in various parts of the country. After he had been arrested, and when being brought from Wellington to Auckland on July li), he escaped from custody at Te Kuiti, and was away for eight or nine hours before being recaptured. GOODS ORDERED AND LOST.

Hugh G. Thompson, shipping clerk in the employ of Archibald Clark and Sons, said that about 18th January last he dispatched an order to a firm in London for goods. About June he received an invoice by their London firm of croods shipped by the Marere, the goods representing one case. The brand was A.C. and S. in a diamond, and a number in a diamond; also a number ontside the diamond. The Marere arrived in Auckland, but no trace of the goods could be found. FOUND AT POLICE STATION. In August witness saw a quantity of goods at the detective office which by the numbers on the packages corresponded with the goods in the invoice stated to have been shipped by the Marere. There was also at the office a case marked A.C. and S. in a diamond, 100 in a diamond, and 706 outside the case. There was also another mark "At Auckland, Marere," and figures denoting measuren/-iit and weight. Elsewhere on the case was the mark J.E. over another letter, perhaps S. The first-mentioned marks were the marks that should havo been on his firm's missing case. . The invoice value of the case of goods was £33 973. RECEIVED AT THE WHARF. Arthur Rhodes, storeman at the F and G sheds, stated that the Marere started discharging on 26th June. The men in the store marked the goods differently for each day, and the case of Archibald Clark's he saw in the police station bore the mark he put on goods received from the Marere into the shed on 27th June. Thos. E. Sinnell, ship's representative for the Tyser' Line on the Auckland wharf, said the Marere started to discharge on 27th June into the F and G sheds. All the goods for Archibald Clark and Sons were delivered, with the exception of one case. TO WANGANUI. Wm. Gordon, receiver at the Railway Goods Shed at Auckland, stated that on the afternoon of Bth July Ehrman accompanied a carter. Munro, with three cases of goods to the goods shed, consigned to'Wanganui.

Frank T. Holliman, employed at the railway goods sheds, said that on sth July a man wrote a consignment note, signed Ehrman, for three cases of goods to Wanganui. The cases were sent to Wanganui. RETURNED TO AUCKLAND. Thos. Warnock, draper, Wanganui, and Chas. Spillane, buyer for McGregor and Co., Wanganui, gave evidence of having purchased in July from Ehrman goods which Mr. Thompson identified with the invoiced goods: and Sergeant Siddall (Wanganui) deposed to having recovered the identified case from Ehrman in Wanganui, and sent them to Auckland Police Station, where tney \rerc identified. TWO VANISHED CASES. Harry Potter, shipping clerk for .1. P. Hooton, deposed to having ordered from London for his firm a quantity of goods, notably, galloons (hat ribbons), which were due in Auckland by the Kaipara on Ist July. The invoices came, but the goods were short by two cases of galloons, preventers and buttons. In August witness saw two cases of galloons and buttons at the Police Station, which corresponded with the invoiced goods that were missing. One nf the cases forwarded from London had been, by instructions, marked differently from the usual brand, and one of the cases at the Police Station was so marked. The missing goods were valued at £63. Thos. E. Sinnell testified to the Kaipara's shipment for J. P. Hooton being short-delivered two cases. Thos. Warnock and Chas. Bpillane stated that in July they had bought certain goods from Ehrman, and Sergeant Siddall stated that the goods he had collected from the two witnesses were identified by Mr. Potter. Thos. Davis, clerk for the New Zealand Express Company, Wellington, stated that on 15th July Ehrman brought to his company's offices a case to be forwarded to Dunedin. It was handed to Detective Andrews. Detective Andrews stated Ehrman had a consignment note for the case when arrested, and this case whet opened was found to contain hat ribbons. The c*»e and goods were subsequently identified ly Mr. Potter. (Proceeding.)