COATS STOLEN.

Auckland Star, Volume LXX, Issue 109, 11 May 1939, Page 15

COATS STOLEN.

DISAPPEARANCE OF 288 PART OF SHIP'S CARGO. STORY IN POUCE COURT. (By Telegraph.—Press Association.) XEW PLYMOUTH, Wednesday. The disappearance from tlia motor vessel Trojan Star at Sew Plymouth during the week-end of a whole case of 288 women's cardigan coats, the finding of 57 of them secreted in the shaft tunnel of the vessel, and the admission by one of the crow of the theft of one of them were features of a case in the Police Court to-day. Joseph Beet, ship's cleaner, pleaded guilty to the theft of one coat, which he gave to a taxi driver, in part payment for the fare to the port ion Sunday. A detective said the Trojan Star had been travelling round the coast, and a case of women's cardigan coats had been over-carried from Lyttelton. The case was in the hold when it was battened down and the watersidem ceased work, on Saturday at five When the hold was opened on Monday morning the chief officer noticed that the case had been pillaged and the whols of the coats had disappeared. On Sunday accused engaged a taxi to take him back to the ship. There was an argument between accused and the taxi driver about the fare, said the detective, and accused ultimately said he had a lady's cardigan on board which lie offered as part payment. The taxi driver accepted, but when he learned that the police were making inquiries about the loes of the garments he at once informed them and identified accused. The detective said Best first denied all knowledge of the cardigan, but later admitted taking it, but in answer to the magistrate he said lie picked it up on the deck of the ship on Saturday and was not aware it was part of the ship's cargo. '"It is obvioue." said the detective, "that these cardigans were stolen bymembers of the ship's crew. In sucli cases when the goods are found it is not always possible to ascertain by whom they were stolen, but 57 coats were found in the shaft tunnel of the ship and it is pretty obvious what section of the crew was concerned, although accused was charged with the taeft "of only one coat." Best was convicted and fined £5 and 4/ expenses incurred in connection with his arrest.