WHILE THE BAGPIPES PLAYED

Auckland Star, Volume XLII, Issue 217, 12 September 1911, Page 6

WHILE THE BAGPIPES PLAYED

Mr. Lundon cross-examined the witness Coquehoun to great length. Witness said he never took a chain home on the night o.f the 25th to the boardinghouse where ibot'h he and accused stayed. Further he alleged that accused arid the proprietress of the boarding-liouse had! concocted lies against him. Some time after the ro'bbery he got the. chain, and believed it was the property of accused. He then gave it to the boarding-house mistress to keep for accused. He believed this was a week 'loefore_ the detectives interviewed him. , He did not tell Mrs. Barron (the boarding-house mistress) that the chain was got out of pawn. Mr. Lundon: -Didn't you tell Mrs. Barron when Ryan was arrested, that he could get out of tins trouble, as lie was not guilty?— No. Did you not say to her that rather than see Ryan get into trouble you would go forward and tell who was the guilty man, and say you got the chain yourself?—No, 1 didn't discuss.it. Didn't you try to persuade accused to get out of the country after Mrs. Barron had gone bail?— No. nothing of the sort. Ryan tried to get me to go away, so as not to give evidence. (Proceeding.)

JA FOR MUSIC. IJBADS TO-LOSS OF 'VALUABLE PROPERTY. IWhat Mr. Selwyn Mays, of the Crown Prosecutor's office, termed "the old, old story of the simple farmer victimised in the city, which happens year in, year iont," was unfolded at the Supreme Court this' morning, before Mr. Justice Edwards and a jury of twelve, when a young miau named Roderick Ryan, represented by Mr. J. II» Lundon, was charged that ( on or about 25th January last he did , ©teal a gold chain, greenstone pendant, and sovereign case, and also with having been in possession of stolen property. As unfolded by Mi. Mays, the. facts iwere 'that in January last Colvin 5 rogBbam, a retired fanner of Hamilton, tame to town for a holiday, and while at the Thames Hotel was accosted by two young men, who said they were re- ■ apectivelv the sons of a Mr. Monckton and Constable Burns of Hamilton. Frogsham knew the two men mentioned, and believing what 'she young fellows Eaid, invited them to drink. The conversation veered round to greenstones, and Frogsham pulled out his gold albert, math, sovereign case and greenstone (pendant attached, and showed this round. [Later the three visited the United Service Hotel, where the chain, and pendant twere again produced, and while in the Sianda of one of the young men a Highland pipe band went by, a.nd Frogsham (went out to hear the music. He returned and found the young men and his ipnoperty, which he valued at £O, gone, it was alleged that accused was the young man who had the property in his (possession, when the owner went to listen to the bagpipes. Calvin Frogsham gave corroborative Evidence. Cross-crcamined by Mr. Lundon, witness said he; did not recollect being in the United Service Hotel on (the 24th January with a friend named Hughes, and hp. had no recollection that Hughes introduced Ryan and KeJioun, !wlio, it was said, wast one. of the young Jtnen who accosted witness on the 25tu. Wm. Newport Clark, store-keeper, JWaipara, Bay of Islands, gave evidence that he was staying at the Thames BLlotel on January 25th last, and in the evening was in the private ba»i with O-Vopshani, Ryan, and a companion. The discussion centred on greer,stone, but after some time witness decided to leave, and did so. Frogs ham was a bit mudIdled, and witness did not like the manner in which the two young men were banging about Frogsham. Frogsham iwoidd not take witness' hint to leave, Mid witness asked Frogsham did he know the two men? Frogsham did not answer, but one of the young men—'Ryan, ihe thought—said ho was a constable's son. Prior to this one of the two bad tri-ed to get witness' greenstone, (but witness didn't like to part, and ORyan, he thought, said: "Do you take Ms if or thieves i*" Witness answered: "You might be for all I know." 'Witness then left. Peretval Kehoun, an accountant, now [labouring, said he was in the. Thames Hotel on the date in question. Ho saw if:]ark ami IFrogflham, tat didn't rememIlicT whetlier Ryan was there. Witness was muddled with drink. Witness remembered going! 'to the other botel, but after that had no recollection. Witness remembered when Ryan was released on bail, at the Lower Court he tamo to witness, and said he had made a statement to the. detectives that from 'January 20th to 30th he had been at JWaihi and Thames with witness. He asked witness to swear to this, as it would clear him. Witness refused, saying he had not been away from town., and accused had only been away from itho boarding-house on one night. ' Mr. Mays: Now, wasn't Ryan, in the hotels with you on that night?—' Well, 3 wouldn't swear absolutely. We had been knocking round all the day.