THE TEA THEFTS.

Auckland Star, Volume XLVII, Issue 258, 28 October 1916, Page 9

THE TEA THEFTS.

ANOTHER CHARGE AGAINST | THOMPSON. ALLEGED OFFER TO PAY FOR BLAME. A further development of the recent tea thefta from L. D. Nathan, Ltd'e., bond occurred yesterday when Edmund Thompson, grocer, wae charged that in March last he received eighteen halfchests of tea, valued at £59 18/3, the property of L. D. Nathan, Ltd. This was an additional charge against the same accused, who had been committed for trial on another charge of receiving. Francis D. Buckley, manager of L. D. Nathan's tea department, stated that on August 24 he visited defendant's shop in Khyber Pass Road, and there saw three haif-chesta of tea, which accused said wae part of a half-ton lot he had bought from Bond and BelL Witness's attention was drawn to the fact that the brands were obliterated on the chests where L. D. Nathan's name was usually branded. Accused said the tea had been brought to hie place by a carter named Renwick. Witness identified the tea by marks on the boxes, as being Nathan's. The eighteen half-chests of tea were valued at £59 16/3. A. E. Bray, who had been employed in Nathan's tea bond, and was now serving a sentence for theft of tea therefrom, stated that about March 15 he stole 18 half-chests of tea from Nathan's, the goods being taken away by Kenwick, a carter. They were to be delivered to one W. Webb. The half-chests of tea in Court were similar to those stolen; the other tea he had stolen and sent to Thompson had been full chests. George H. Renwick deposed to having, about the date mentioned, carted seventeen or eighteen half-chests of tea to Wm. J. Webb's house, and thence, by Webb's instructions, to accused's chop. Wm. J. Webb corroborated the two previous witnesses, and added that he sold the tea to accused, mentioning Bray'e name, for £28. After the arrest of Renwick and Bray in August, accused met witness, by appointment, and in the coarse of discussing the tea case, accused sajd t bew»s-ready to give £1 a week to or Renwick, or both of them, if they took a fair share of the blame, and he would also give them a job when they "came out." After evidence had been given as to the cashing of the cheque for £28 by Webb, accused pleaded not guilty, and wae committed for trial, bail" being allowed in one surety of £300.