LOST ON THE RACECOURSE.

Auckland Star, Volume XLIV, Issue 91, 17 April 1913, Page 6

LOST ON THE RACECOURSE.

HOW A POCKET-BOOK VANISHED.

An elderly man, Mr. John Lynch, who is well known in the .province as a'racehorse owner and a. sporting irian generally, was made the victim of a racecourse robbery, oil the light-fingered variety, at the-Avondale course yesterday afternoon.. The job was done rather neatly, too. Mr. Lynch, in his peregrinations on the" lawn, met two men, who "Chummed iip" to him in the way that most respectable men JdO, at times, on a racecourse when things are going well with them: In token of their everlasting respect and regard fOr Mr. Lynch, one of them produced. a flask of whisky, and tactfully suggested an adjournment round.'the corner. Mr. Lynch said he didn't mind, and they went, round the corner of a. building wht_re they were not iii public view,'and Mr. Lynch, in'his turn,.., pledged the .health of his acquainiances by "raising the flask to his.lips, both his arms being raised in the operation, while one of the men also kept a hand on. the flask in playfiil pretence of fear that his treasured liquor vyoiild be too deeply drawn oh. This quite unusual incident of a racecourse meeting over, ' the three parted, but Mr. Lynch very shortly afterwards discovered that his pocket-book, containing four sovereigns, was gone from his breast pocket. He suspected that it had been cleverly, abstracted from his pocket while he had bis bands up, in the act of drinking from the whisky flask, and he started a search for the two men and eventually saw them; As he approached them he saw one throw something under'a seat, and he found, on getthere, that his pcket-bbok, J. minus the money, was beneath the ,1, seat. He lodged a.complaint with the'police, with the result that yesterday evening Tone of the. men, George .Thomas 'Evans, agtd 33. years, was arrested on a.charge bf having stolen the pocket-book, At the Police Court thi§ morning Evans was remarided till hext Thursday, bail being fixed at one surety of £50, or two of £25 each. ~-.;'.;'.-. ....