ELDERLY MAN ROBBED

Press, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22592, 23 December 1938, Page 4

ELDERLY MAN ROBBED

THREE MONTHS’ GAOL ORDERED

DEMONSTRATION OF WRESTLING HOLDS

Iran* as sociatio* tilsskau.) WELLINGTON, December 22. “This class of offence is merely a little more refined than ordinary picking of pockets—enticing a man into a side street, and apparently when indulging in horseplay, and under the cover of horseplay, going through, his pockets,” said Mr J. H. Luxford, S.M., when Eric John Jones, aged 38, a labourer and hawker, was charged with stealing from the person of D. L. B. Ross a tobacco tin containing two £1 notes, an art union ticket, and war discharges, of a total value of £2 Is.

“It is a very serioua matter and one I cannot pass over leniently,” added the Magistrate. He imposed a sentence of three months’ imprisonment with hard labour.

Ross, a pensioner, aged 65, said he was asked if he was “Sullivan.” This ended in an apology and an invitation to drink. They were joined by two others and then the men began showing him wrestling holds. He found the tin gone and got away. He met a policeman and they managed to catch one of the men with the tin on him. The Magistrate; We will have to call this one the grab instead of the crab. Ross said he had about 18s in a trousers pocket, and that was taken too.

£7O IN NOTES LOST

REPORTED OFFENCE AT GISBORNE

(VBBSB AHOCIATIOS TICSOKAU.) CISBORNE, December 22. A report that he had been relieved of £7O in banknotes by a stranger who had offered to demonstrate wrestling holds was made to the police this morning by a farm labourer, aged 65, who had come to town for the holidays.

Before coming to Gisborne yesterday the man had cashed a cheque for £7O, and subsequently was drinking in a hotel during the afternoon. He was followed from the bar by a stranger, who started to show his wrestling holds, the roll of notes being missed shortly afterwards. As a result of police inquiries, an identification parade was held this morning, but the complainant was unable to identify any of the men as his wrestling instructor.