ROBBING A HOSTESS.

Press, Volume LXII, Issue 12482, 19 April 1906, Page 2

ROBBING A HOSTESS.

A CASE AT LYTTELTOX

At the Lyttelton Magistrate's Court yeisterday, before Mr li. ,W. Bishop, S.M., Lilian McMahon, alia- Martin, was charged on information with having, between March 2!) th and April Dtn. stolen the sum of £tiß 10s in gold and notes from the dwelling" of Catherine Buckley, St. David street, Lvttelton.

j Mr Casfidy appeared for the accused. I Cat Buckley deposed that ehe j resided wit IT her husband in St. David street, Lytteiton. She know accused, who came to her house on March _-lth last, and a.«ked for lodgings. Witness J gave her a room. There, was a client j ol" dnawor.s in the room, and the draw- | ors were not locked. Witness kept • rtiiiie money in a bag inside a purse jin one of the d ran ens There ivais i.41 ,in gold and _4 in noted— Ho altogether iin the purse. In the same drawer _s j tho money wa-s kept iiiuro wero nome j lollies l>elongii!g to witmw-, who gave ' accused permission to u*u them for tier ■ cough. Accused left her house on j April Uth, and witner-K niir-sou a etiin lot £29 from tho drawer two or three. I hours s\iU'i accused had gone. "Witney reported tho matter to tho police. That J evening nlio examined a portmanteau in the room, in which sho had i'od in a box. _he found the box broken open, and only _]0 10s left. Accm-ed, when sho came, said sho hfld no money, but .-.he lwiiglit a good deal of clothing and jewellery while idle was staying with _ witnes-f. Witness gave lier no permission to Uf-o any oi the money. Accused went by ihe name of M:ck Martin, ami witness did not know her by any other. Accused had btayed ttiUi witncsM uti three- occasion*. William Buckley, husband of the preceding witne.-s, gave corroboratiro evidence. Detective Mitcheiil stated that, in company with Detective Connolly, he arrested accused on April 10th, on tho arrival of tho North express at Dunedia. Accused said she had been .staying at Airs Buckley's house, and had paid her £']. She Kaid she had taken about €20 from a pur.-c in Mrs Buckleys bedroom, and had spent it on Iter teeth, dress, .and jewellery. She admitted that •die _ had been constantly taking money during the fortnight f-he was at Mrs Buckley's house, but did not think it wmounted To £C>9. Sho said she would pay Mrs "Buckley whatever she had tik.u. When warehed at the station, she had three sovereigns and six shillings and ninepence in silver and copper, which, she stated ,w;>s some of the t-tolen money. She also had an opal ring, a gold band ring, a gold necklace and pendant. « gold hrc-celi, a greenstone bracelet, a gold curb bracelet, a, gold-mounted tusk, and a long gold miilf chain. She had two cardboard boxes and a dross-basket containing clothing. To Mr Ca s sidy : The accused had never been in trouble before as far as ho knew. Her people in Dunedin wero quite respectable. M"r C'as-udy submit led that \ho evidenre did not <iiselose theft from a dwelling, ;ip there had hren no illegal entry on the part of accused. Sergeant Rut ledge said the police had no object inn to altering the charge to one of ordinary theft. Tho charge was accordingly altered. The ncciiH'd pleaded ''Guilty,' and was committed for sentence at tho next session of the Supreme Court. B:u'l was allowed, accused in £100, and two sureties ,">f £00.