LOST IN A TRAMCAR

Evening Post, Volume XCVIII, Issue 138, 9 December 1919, Page 8

LOST IN A TRAMCAR

There are degrees of theft, but a thief still remains a. thief. A man named John Earl was called before Mr. E. Page, S.M., -at the Magistrate's" Court this morning .to answer a charge of ihaving stolen a -Oa note, the property of Dorothy Louisa Smith.. The circumstances, as stated by witnesses called by ChiefDetective Bod dam, were that a few days ago Mrs. Smith was travelling in a Brooklyn tramcar, and by mischance dropped the not© from her handbag. When the accused left the car the note was noticed on the floor of the tram, and was handed out, by another passenger, who thought that Earl had dropped it, and whether he had done so or not he accepted the note. Later, when Mrs. Smith examined her bag, she found that a note was missing, and the tramway officials took an interest in the case. Earl was interviewed by Detective Carney, but gave very unsatisfactory replies to the questions put to him. The Magistrate entered a conviction against Earl, but in view of the special circumstances of the case, imposed^ lenient fine of £2, and ordered the repayment of the money stolen. "I would ask the Court," said Mr. J. O'Shea, City. Solicitor, who was in the Court-room at the time, "to make an official direction to passengers to hand all articles found in tramcars direct to the conductors. If that had been done in- this case there would have been no prosecution." Mr. Page replied that he fully approved of counsel's suggestion. Mr. W. Perry appeared for the defence.