BOOTS AND SHOES.

Auckland Star, Volume LXV, Issue 252, 24 October 1934, Page 12

BOOTS AND SHOES.

CHARGES OF THEFT. TALE OF A LOOSE BOARD. DETECTIVES' DISCOVERIES. Charges of breaking, entering, and theft, and alternatively of receiving, brought Norman Harold McC'onnack, aged 20, labourer, before Mr. Justice Fair in the Supreme Court this morning. The charges referred to the breaking and entering on August 30 of the factory of Messrs. »S. Button and Sons at -4ti, Upper Queen Street, as the result of which about 1!) pairs of boots and shoes, of a total value of £11, disappeared. Mr. Hubble conducted the case for the Crown and Mr. Noble appeared for accused. Mr. Hubble said that on August 30 the premises had been left as usual at the end of the day. The next morning it was discovered that the door had been interfered with, while at the rear of the premises a window had been entirely removed. It was later discovered that some 19 pairs of boots and shoes were missing. On September 1 police officers had executed a search warrant on premises occupied by accused. There they had found 10 pairs of boots and shoes. Some were hidden under the counterpane on the bed, while others were under a floor-board which had been sawn to make it movable. The board was covered by linoleum. Detective J. Hunt, Mr. Hubble continued, had asked accused to explain the presence of the goods there. Accused had replied that a man had brough them there that morning for him to sell, but he would not say anything about him.

Detective Hunt described going to the premises of accused, and the finding of the boots and shoes. There were five pairs in the space opened up by the loose board. Cross-examined by Mr. Noble, witness en id that six detectives had gone to the house. Mr. Noble: What, six to find a few boots 1 Witness replied that they expected to find other things liesides the boots. Witness said that pome fusing, detonators and gelignite were found in the basement of the house. Accused had denied knowledge of the presence of gelignite, and also of some fusing under the loose floor board. The detectives had gone to the premises, said Detective G. A. McWhirter, in a search for the proceeds of recent burglaries. Referring to the loose flooring board, and the hole under it, ho said that the space ran for the breadth of the room. (Proceeding.)