ALLEGED THEFT AT BAND CONCERT

Press, Volume LXXV, Issue 22635, 14 February 1939, Page 5

ALLEGED THEFT AT BAND CONCERT

MEMBERS OF AUDIENCE SUBMIT TO SEARCH (r«»l AgIOCIATIO* TIT-lOXAM.) WELLINGTON, February 13. Patrons of a band concert at the King’s Theatre last night invited the police to search them. When investigations were made into the disappearance from the till of a sum of money, several persons emptied their pockets and permitted the police to search them. The incident was described in the Magistrate’s. Court when Jonas Friedlander, a war pensioner, was charged

with the theft of £6, the property of the Boys’ Institute Band. Detective-Sergeant Doyle said that the concert was given to raise funds to enable the band to go to Christchurch for the contest. Money received from patrons was placed in a till. The accused was a telephone attendant, the telephone being near the till. The . cashier was called away, leaving the accused the only person near the till. Returning two minutes later, the cashier missed a £5 note, and the accused said that a bandsman had helped himself. The matter was reported to the police, and a number of people

were interviewed. Some volunteered to be searched. The accused, continued the detective, said he knew nothing about it and he had no objection to being searched. He said that £1 6s Id in his pockets was all he had. He was holding a handkerchief, and a detective heard a rustle of paper, and found a £5 note and £1 in the handkerchief. The accused said it was his own thoney. At this stage the accused applied for a remand to enable him to engage counsel. 1 A remand • till to-morrow was granted, bail being allowed in self of £lO,

IMPORTANT EVENTS OF 1939 ' A calendar of the principal events 'of interest to visitors in Great Britain iand Ireland, i_n JL939 is published by {the; Travel and Industrial Development ‘Association of Great Britain and Ireland, Some of the events are the British Industries Fair, the State visit of the President of France, the opening of : the Shakespeare Drama Festival, the

Aldershot Tattoo, the Trooping the Colour ceremony, and the usual round of ■ important events in the world of music,'art, and sport of various kinds.