UNDERTAKER ROBBED

Dominion, Volume 23, Issue 7, 3 October 1929, Page 7

UNDERTAKER ROBBED

SEAMAN IMPRISONED

The mysterious disappearance on a recent evening of three attache cases from the .shop of E. Morris, Jun., undertaker, of Taranaki Street, led to the appearance of three seamen in the Magistrate's Court yesterday. The men were jointly charged with stealing the articles mentioned, which were said to be valued at £1 16s. in all. They were Hugh Johnstone, alias Thomas Woods, aged 32; James McEwan, aged 42, and Daniel McEwan, a seaman, aged 47. Evidence was given to the effect that Johnstone had sold the attache cases_ for 4s. and a packet of cigarettes. When seen in an hotel by a policeman he had just handed a barman a wooden box containing belts and braces, valued at 35., nnd this the three men were also charged with stealing. The Lox, which belonged to Moses Davis, was stolen from the counter of the latter’s second-hand shop in Taranaki Street. _ After hearing the evidence, Mr. E. Page, S.M., said he thought there was insufficient evidence to prove the guilt of the two McEwans, and he accordingly dismissed the charges against them. Johnstone, however, who bad previous convictions for theft, was convicted and sentenced to three months’ imprisonment with hard labour.