ALLEGED BREAKING AND ENTERING.

Press, Volume LVIII, Issue 11006, 2 July 1901, Page 3

ALLEGED BREAKING AND ENTERING.

ACCUSED COMMITTED FOR TRIAL , At Lyttelton yesterday, before Captains Marciel and Willis, J.P.'s., Henry Johnstone Baker was charged, under section 267 of the Criminal Code Act, with breaking and entering the New Zealand Shipping Company's offices on Norwich quay, with!. intent to commit a crime. \ Robert Hatch well, accountant for the New* Zealand Shipping Company, de*posed thatl the accused had been, employed as a carpenter for the _omp_ny. He would receive his wages in the office, and would! know "where the money was kept. Witness had seen the ■window which had been broken. It was about 4ft 6in from the., ground. The accused might have known where the key of the office door was k»pt< Thomas M. Lewington, foreman carpen-. ter for tho Company, deposed that the ac-* . cused was last employed by liim in tha beginning of ApriL Witness had confidence) in the accused, and had shown him where the key in, the lower store was .kept. Tha / key would open t_e door giving access toi the upp«_* part,of the building. Witnesshad. been; informed by Mr Hatchwell tkiiti the/place hod-been entered by the window.; He went down, and found that nothing had! •been disturbed. There was nothing ofi much value in the store. Witness received the key from Mr Hatchw_U on Sun-< day. Accused had been employed by witness for about two years on and off, and 1 had always given satisfaction. * Constable, Moore deposed that about _{s' ! o'clock on Saturday night he was in company with Constable Connel on Norwich} quay. From Mr Forbes's place on.Norwich quay witness heard tho noise of two hneakings of glass. The two hurried round*' past the back of the Sailors' Home to t_e> New Zealand Shipping C*omp_ny's store, and found a large pane of glass had been broken. On flashing the lamp on to the interior ol the store witness saw accused in a crouch* ing position three or four feet from the window. He was very quiet, and could not be seen by a person passing the window. Witness asked what he was doing. Ac-* cosed was pulled out. Constable Connel took witness's lamp amd searched, but found no signs of anyone else being there. Witness charged accused with breaking and entering. Accused said nothing, and witness arrested him. Accused was not drunk. He had been drinking. He was sober enough to know what he was doing. Constable Connel gave corroborative evidence.

The acotised received the usual caution, and said he was drunk, and remembered nothing. He had always been found honest, and had never been in Court before. The Bench committed the acoussd for trial. .