POLICE COURT.

Auckland Star, Volume XLIX, Issue 148, 22 June 1918, Page 4

POLICE COURT .

(Before Mr. Wyv'crn Wilson, S.M.) • FROM HER MISTRESS. j Annie Farrell alias Gow (32), admit-1 ted that she stole'two toilet covers, valued at 15/-, the property of Clara Necdham. Suspicion had fallen on her when she was employed by the day by Mrs. Necdham, on account of linen.being missed. About £5 worth of linen disappeared, . and eventually the police searched the room occupied by accused and found two toilet covers belonging to Mrs. Needham, but she said she knew nothing of anything else. Little was known of her, except that she came recently from Australia. She was remanded till Tuesday. A ROVING LAD. Edward A. McGuire (16) was charged that, being over fifteen years of age, he left New Zealand without a permit. McGuire had hidden himself on a ship bound for • Australia. On being discovered aboard he had been kept on the ship and brought back to Auckland. The lad was an Industrial School boy, with a history for running away. Latterly he had been out from the'school on license. McGuire was sentenced to reformatory detention for a period not exceeding 12 months at the Borstal Institute, Invercargill. AT THE; SETTLING-TJP. Thomas Helme . (49) admitted that yesterday he stole £8 4/-, belonging to Ernest McDowell. He had been employed by McDowell as a bottle gatherer, and the two met in the Albert Hotel yesterday to settle up accounts. During the operation. McDowell left his purse, containing £8 4/-, on the counter, and turned away to speak to someone, and when he turned again to the counter the purse was gone. Helme denied all knowledge of the purse, and when complaint was made later to the police Helme's house' was searched without result. Subsequently Helme | gave £2 to McDowell's brother, and said he would pay the rest as best he could. When arrested he paid up all but 5/10 of the money.. ■ -.--•: When brought before the Court Helms said he had a wife and child to keep, and was hard pressed for rent, so that he took the money on the impulse. In view of the fact that there were two comparatively recent previous convictions for theft against him, Helme was sentenced to a month's, hard labour.' LAPSES BT JUVENILES. A girl of fifteen admitted having stolen a £20 diamond ring; the property of Mrs. G. B. Patterson. It was stated that the girl was of good character, and had a good home training, but she had recently made the acquaintance of an older girl and had developed a tendency for late nights and personal adornment. Lately she had 'been employed at a house, and during the course of her duties she . saw the ring,' took it and hid it, but owned up when interviewed by Plainclothes Constable Potter. .From the home history ; submitted' his Worship took the view that the girl' not fully realise the seriousness of the theft, but had allowed herself to get into silly ways, and that a little discipline would correct the errant tendency. The ,: case was adjourned for.three months, during which time, the girlNfronld, be on probation, with disciplinary conditions. -, '.':,•' A charge against a little girl of .eight, years of having stolen' a push-cart from Devonport wharf ' disclosed a regrettable apathy on : the part of the child's ; parents. • She had brought the ; push-cart home, saying it had been given her by a friend, and the parents apparently made no active inquiry. . In , actual fact, the push-cart . had been .taken' from the wharf, where a lady: had left.it, intending to pick it up again on; her s return from a visit/ to the ■ city. ■_ '■' The police related that the : child had not been attending school, and covering, up the default with a ; story which only parental indifference could have accepted. His [Worship admonished the - child's father, ordered him to pay ; 12/ costs, and- adjourned the case for three months, pending probation.-. reports respecting the child. .." MISCELLANEOUS. Gerald C. Wilson (19), arrested on a charge of, vagrancy, • was remanded till Friday, pending inquiry respecting property found' in his possession. " ..,; , •