POLICE COURT.

Auckland Star, Volume XLVIII, Issue 247, 16 October 1917, Page 4

POLICE COURT.

(Before Mr F. V. Frazer, SM.) A HAT MYSTERY. A woman named Kay Martenne (54) was charged with the theft of a panama hat valued at £2 <J/G, the property ol iMcssre. Milne and Choyce, Ltd. The cvi- i Uence of the ohief salcsAvotnau of the mil- i linery department and one of the direc- ' tors of the firm was to the effect that •the accused had taken the hat into the ladies' room, where she wrapped it up in a paper toag and proceeded to leavf ( the shop with it. >She was accosted at! the door and asked where she had •obtained the hat, but her answers wexe ' considered unsatisfactory, and the police •were called in. The witnesses stated that they were ajble to identify rth e hat aa ! one that had not iheeu sold. The j arresting constable eaid that the accused told 'him that she took the oat i on the spur of the moment, and that it ' was the only theft she had ever com- j niitted. Speaking on her own behalf in j court, accused denied that she had stolen j the hat, but maintained that it had been j given to her to mind toy a woman whom j she met in the ladies' room of the mil- ' linen- department. This woman of the Jiat had disappeared, when accused got tired of waiting, and'came out of the room. The case was adjourned to en- | able the police to make inquiries with the \ abject of ascertaining if the mysterious j owner of the hat could be found. ' TOO MANY FRIENDS. I'ear] Young Hee (24) Was charged ■with soliciting in Alexandra Street. A nonstable stated that he had seen the accused accost several men in the street. | having only a short conversation with | each. Later, ho and auother constable | saw her in company witn a 'Maori in sus- | .pk'ious circumstances. Accused said > that thu men to whom islie had epoken j were friends and neighbours, and that she was entirely innocent of the charge preferred against her. His Worship pointed out that there was a list against her. and that the police cas<; in this in- I etancp was very strong. She was sen-' teuced, under the War Regulations, to ' three month's , imprisonment. DRUNKENNESS. George Myers (52) was convicted and fined 5/ for drunkenness. Georgo Mc- ' Carter (154) was convicted and discharged ! for drunkenness, and fined 10/ for a!• of his prohibition order. {