WANDERING WALLET.

Auckland Star, Volume LXII, Issue 280, 26 November 1931, Page 8

WANDERING WALLET.

THEFT CHARGE FOLLOWS

STRUGGLE AFTER DRINKING.

YOUNG MAN SENT TO GAOL,

A story of a young man who came from Christ church on holiday, met another young man in the street, gave his newly-found friend money to buy some drink, had a fight in a boardinghoui-e and finally found that his pocket wallet had disappeared was told to Mr. F. K. Hunt, S.M., in the Police Court this morning. A charge of stealing the wallet, containing £5 in money, a steamer and train ticket, a Savings Bank pass book and a number of papers, of a total yalue of £9 10/, the property of William Dunn, was preferred against Owen Byrne. Accused was further charged with being found without lawful excuse on licensed premises when such premises should have been closed. He pleaded not guilty to the first charge, but admitted the second. A piano tuner, Frederick Ansel), living in Vincent Street, said he rcmem-! bered accused and Dunn arriving at the j house on Monday evening last. They went to Byrne's room, where they had some drinks. They came into the sitting room, but later returned to Byrne's room. Shortly afterwards witness was called from his bed because Dunn and Byrne were fighting. Dunn complained that Byrne had "gone through him." When the pair had gone out witness searched the room and found a wallet | under the head of Byrne's mattress. He then went and told Dunn that his money was all right and told him to call for it in the morning as he did not think Dunn was in proper condition to take it that night. Both Dunn and Byrne, he said, were drunk. The proprietress of the boarding house said that when Byrne returned to his room she saw him searching his mattress. 1 Constable Webb said that both men had complained to him about the loss of the wallet, Byrne saying that it had been taken by a tall man in an alleyway I In denying the charge Byrne said the fight in accused's room had taken place because Dunn had sa.id that he was. the stronger. He could not explain how the wallet got beneath his mattress. Accused admitted to DetectiveSergeant Kelly that he had been before the Court on & number of previous occasions. He had been charged with assaulting the police and had been twice sentenced for theft, the last time in June last. ' Byrne was sentenced to six months' j imprisonment. On the second charge accused was convicted and discharged.