THEFT OF TIN FROM RAILWAYS

Dominion, Volume 29, Issue 113, 6 February 1936, Page 6

THEFT OF TIN FROM RAILWAYS

Large Quantity Stolen

STOREMAN COMMITTED FOR SENTENCE

The theft of over five tons of tin, valued at more than £lOOO, from the Railway Department’s stores, led to the storeman responsible being committed to the Supreme Court, Wellington, for sentence. The storeman, Charles Bold, aged 44, yesterday pleaded guilty before Mr. J. G. L. Hewitt, S.M., in the Wellington Magistrate’s Court to a charge of stealing the tin. Bold was represented by Mr. A. M. Cousins. DetectiveSergeant E. C. Jarrold appeared for the police. A Government audit inspector described the system of.’ issuing stores which was in operation in the Railway Department, and told how, during his audit of stores in December, he discovered the discrepancy. He bad found that requisitions had been duplicated, and the duplicates acted on as well as the originals. The total shortage of tin was 5 tons, 3cwt. 131 b., valued at £lll3/8/10. Bold, by admitting the offence, had saved the department a great deal of trouble. The police produced a statement from Bold describing boxy another storeman had approached him, saying be could dispose of the tin if accused helped him steal it. Having got rid of the tin, they falsified the entries on the ledger cards. They had continued stealing the tin in scwt. lots, until the other man had left. Afterward Bold had gone on alone. Carpenter’s Three Offences Found without lawful excuse in a railway carriage at Lambton Station, Gilbert Henry Lyster, carpenter, aged 48 was charged also with the theft of a torch valued at 5/- from a person unknown and with stealing a rug valued at 10/- from John Marcus Upfold, a taxi-driver. . Senior-Sergeant J. O’Neil said that Lyster had been observed walking about at Lambton late at night. A police constable had followed him, and had found him in a railway carriage. Interviewed, he had admitted the theft of the torch. The rug, which he had stolen from Upfold’s taxi, he had tried to sell to a second-hand dealer. “Petty theft seems to be this man’s long suit. He has a number of previous convictions,” said SeniorSergeant‘O’Neil. j “Have you anything to say? asked the magistrate. “You can put me on probation if you like,” suggested Lyster from the dock. The magistrate, however, sentenced him’ to two months' imprisonment, for the theft of the rug, and convicted and discharged him on the other two charges.

Remands Granted William James Brown, aged 32, motor-driver, Fred Jones, aged 53, cook, and Edward Devereux, aged 38, chemist and barman, jointly charged with breaking and entering the warehouse of Philips Lamps, New Zealand, Limited, and stealing 14 wireless sets valued at £425/10/-, were remanded to February 19.»’ Alexander John Carton, wharf labourer, aged 50, charged with the theft of electric light bulbs valued at £6 8/5, the property of Philips Lamps, Ltd., was remanded to February 12. Thomas William Fox, salesman, aged 40, charged with receiving stolen goods, was remanded to February 12.