MAGISTRATE'S COURT

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2556, 2 September 1915, Page 9

MAGISTRATE'S COURT

AN INCORRIGIBLE THIEF . Mr. D. Gr. A. Cooper, . S.M., presided over a sitting of the Magistrate's Court J-esterdny. ... ' , , "I can't go down the street with a. walk-ing-stick, but they say I stole it," was the indignant protest of John Power, in the .Magistrate's Court yesterday, when he was charged with the theft of .& from Sam Wall Tie's fruit shop in Courtcnav Place. According to the police, the shopkeepers of CoiU'tenay Place Hto in terror of Power's thieving propensities.- Power is apparently no sooner out of gaol than he is on his beat in Courtenay .Place, and it is only a matter of hours before lie" is arrested. His latest theft—which resulted in the. ninety-first conviction being recorded against hini-r-occurred oa Tuesday. Sain AVah Tie came fro.ni the rear of his shop arid found Power leaning over the counter near the till. "Wha' for?" inquired-Tic, and Power, replying he was drunk, left- the shop. Tie'soon discovered that the till was empty. Power was fonnd 'shortlv' after by * Sergeant Willcocks in a half-drunken condition in an hotel. Power was searched,' and found to be in possession of a large amount of small change. In Court, Power vehemently persisted he'was innocent. . "I nm pretty well respected among lny o.wn class," he said, "and that Chinaman points at when I go along the street, and says -There the old man, the old fello, tho old thief." ' "He is absolutely an incorrigible thief," said Inspector Hendrey. "Six months' imprisonment is thp only thing for you," declared ,the Magistrate in reply. OTHER CASES. For importuning, Fanny EVans was seoit to the Salvation Army Home for twelve months, while Mary Evans and Katlierinie Malcolm, who were similarly charged, were remanded until to^lay. Henry Holland was convicted and discharged on a charge of drunkenness, and fined £2, in default H days' detontion, for using obscene language. ' ' For drunkenness, George Anderson'Miller was fined in default three days' imprisonment; Emma. Crawford, fined a. similar amount and ordered to pay ~£l Is. } medical expenses; and Frank Woods, fined 10s. or *18 liouns' imprisonment. .Two first offenders were, dealt with.