PETONE AND HUTT NEWS;

Evening Post, Volume LXXV, Issue 122, 23 May 1908, Page 2

PETONE AND HUTT NEWS;

COURT CASES. Drunkenness -was the excuse pleaded, at the Petone Police Court yesterday afternoon, by a labourer named Patrick M'Gill, in answer to a charge of the the theft of an umbrella,, the of C. J. Hollard, draper. According to the police, the defendant took -the umbrella from a rack, whilst the assistant was getting some goods out of the window, which accused had asked to bo allowed tq inspect. The umbrella was missed, but was soon after seen in defendant's possession. The Bench (Messrs. M'Ewan and Mothes, Justices of the Peace), convicted "M'Gill, and ordered Him to come up for sentence when called upon. -A prohibition order was also issued against him. -,*. Yesterday at tho Hutt Police Station Annie -Winifred Dunn, *an old offender, was Convicted and discharged for insobriety. PRESENTATION. Misa Arrowsmith, one of the junior teachers on the Petone school staff, on retiring from teaching, was presented by the staff with a handsome set of silvermounted toilet brushes as >'a token of their esteem, accompanied by hearty good -wishes for her future welfare. Mr. Home, head teacher, made the presentation. , ' ' "SHOPLIFTING." A Petone shop^eoper informed, a Post representative this morning that there was plenty of "shop-lifting" going on, but the thing -was to catch the offenders in the act. Often he missed various articles, which he surmised were removed when his back was tnrned. It -was, however, mostly small goods pf 'no great Value, which could be conveniently slipped out of sight by the pilferer, Another dealer was of much the - same opinion, but he stated his losa-was -notvery considerable. "We know the offenders of old," he said, "but we caiihot catch them at it. We did detect one case, and that was of a married woman." According to a third draper, questioned on the subject, there was Very little pilfering going on, while another" stated that all the small articles displayed on his counter, such as scented soap, ribbons, and trinkets, were fixed to the counter. ' • As the result of the representations of a deputation, which waited upon the Justice Department some time ago, a safe of large proportions has been installed in the Police Station, Petone.