MISSED A TRIP HOME.

Auckland Star, Volume XLIV, Issue 185, 5 August 1913, Page 5

MISSED A TRIP HOME.

FOR A PAIE OS" WEITE BOOTS. A SENSELESS THEFT. A most unusual type of theft occupied the attention of Mr. F. V. Frazer, 5.11., at the Police Court this morning, when a well-dressed man of 39 years, named Arthur Robert Paine, was charged that yesterday he stole a pair of white boots, value 10/6, the property of Stone and Co. Chief-Detective McMahon said that the case was an extraordinar}' one. The accused was a man who had held a good position in a warehouse, and had excellent references. He made up his mind to take a trip to the Old Country to have a cataract on one of his eyes operated on, and he and his wife and young child had made all arrangements for the trip. They had taken their tickets for the purpose, and put their luggage aboard the Sydney boat. Accused yesterday morning went into Stone's boot shop, and asked to be shown some white boots. He was looking a number of boots over when the salesman was called away to the telephone. Before the salesman left, accused said to him: "I'll call again at two o'clock; have a pair of tens ready for mc." The salesman came back from the 'phone to find Paine gone, and he noticed also that one of the boxes that had contained a pair of white boots was empty, though it had tbe lid on. Information was given to the police, and Paine was arrested aboard the boat in the evening. He said that he had in- ! tended to call and pay for the boots, but he could not satisfactorily explain why he had passed the shop on his way down to the boat without stopping to pay for the boots. He had £11 10/ on him when he was arrested.

The accused admitted the theft, having nothing else to say. and his Worship remarked that it was a case of one of those extraordinary lapses that occasionally occurred, and were very hard to account for. Accused would be convicted and fined £5 and 12/ costs.