TWENTY-FIVE CHARGES ALLEGED WHOLESALE THEFT

Evening Post, Volume LXXXVII, Issue 35, 11 February 1914, Page 8

TWENTY-FIVE CHARGES ALLEGED WHOLESALE THEFT

Wholesale theft was alleged against a man named Arthur Douglas in the Magistrate's Court to-day. Douglas is a man of about forty years of age, and for some time pact hat> been suspected of many burglaries. The suspected lieb has been mounting up day by day, and now no fewer than 25 charges stand ngainst him. Detective Cameron has been working on the charges, which include 22 cufces of breaking and entering and theft, two cases of breaking and entering with intent to commit theft, and one caee of theft. With one exception, all the houses entered were in Wellington or the suburbs, and the alleged thefts, took place during the latter months of last year. Douglas \va* arrested in Auckland, and pleaded guilty there to a number of charges of theft, lie was committed to the Supreme Court at Wellington for sentence. A lull list of the charges 'brought against him to-day is as follows!— (1) ,Un 26th August^ 1913, did break 'and enter the dwelling of Howard James Jones, with intent to commit theft; (2) on Bth September, 1913, did break and enter the dwelling Frank William 'Bedford," "Itataitai, "and* steal therefrom a brooch and churm, valued at 25sj (3) on Bth September, 1913, broke and entered the residence of Joseph Charles Minine, and stole property valued a.l £28 10s; (i) theft of 10s from the resi' "ence oi Thomas Noel Broderick, ia Salamanca -road ; (6) theft from the resi. dene© of Hugh Francis Lowe, of Lower Hutt, of property and money to the total value of £22; (6) theft from tho residence of AbTaham JBemian (Wellington) of property to the total value of £34;. (7) theft from the residence of Charles Douglas Morpeth of property valued at £6 8s; (8) \ theft from th« dwellinghousG of Richard Brown of money and property valued at £8 6b; (9) theft from the dwellinghonse of James M'Kee of property valued at £35 10s ; (10) on 2nd October, at Napier,' stole property and money valued at £8 5s from tho dwellinghoU6e of James Berry, of Faraday-street, Napier; (11) stole from the residence of Joseph Stephen Rutter, property valued at £2; (12) theft from the dwellinghouse of Harry Edgar Nichols of property valued at £20; (13) theft from the dwelling, house of Richard Morris Griffiths of property valued at £17 3b 6d ; (H) theft from the residence of Arthur Marshall, Lower Hutt, of property valued at 12s 6d ; (15) breaking and entering the vesi* dence of Walter Jame6 Rogers, with in* tent tj> commit a crime ; (16) theft from the dwcllinghouso of Elizabeth Mand Stent of property valued at £32 11«; (17) theft from residence of John Lance* lot Barlow, Lower Hutt. of property valued at £2 12s 6d ; (18) theft from the residence of William George David Brown, Lower Hutt, of property valued at £11; (19) theft from the residence of William Eraser of properly valued at £13; (20) theft from the residence of Arthur Hawthorne of a tie pin valued at 1 £3; (21) theft from the residence of Walter Clemente Hampton 'of property valued at £4; (22) theft from the resi. dence of Maud Kain, Wellington, of jewellery and money to the total value of £62 ; (23) theft from the residence of George Pirie of property valued at £12 ; (24) theft from the dwelling of Charles Corden Larmour of property valued at £14; (25) theft from the residence of Frederick John Evans of property valued, at £10 Bs. In all, there were about thirty wit. nesses in Court, and their evidence was of a. purely formal character. In mobb instances the stolen property consisted of jewellery and money. Seven wit* nesses had. been heard when the Court adjourned. Much of ihe stolen property (which was produced) was identified and evidence of the ransacking of houses given. As his Worship would be unable to continue tho hearing of the fuses in the afternoon, accused wee remanded until 10 a.m. on Friday next.

Mr. S. S. Williams, of Wellington, who has been on a. holiday trip to -Aug» tralia, returned by the Maunganni to* day. Tho Lowor Hutt Borough Council publishes a notice in our advertising column! regarding unpaid rates. At tho New Century Hall this evening Rev. Margaret Hanloy will give, readings from articles. Tenders aro invited for new premise* for the Bank of Australasia at Palmereton North.