TOO OLD A STORY

Evening Post, Volume CVII, Issue 19, 23 January 1924, Page 8

TOO OLD A STORY

WINE MONTHS FOR HOTEL THIEF.

"Thefts from hotels are easy to commit and very hard to detect, so that boarders are almost at the "mercy of this class of man," declared Chief-Detective Kemp at the Magistrate's Court to-day, when a young labourer named John Asher appeared before Mr. E. Page, S M on a charge of stealing a gold wristlet watch valued at £12, and £2 in money, the property of Mary Gallagher. Called by Chief-Detective Kemp Detective Walker said that on 13th Janudry he saw the accused at the People's Palace. He was acting in a very suspicious manner, and when questioned gave his name as John Wilson and his address as Marion street. He said that he had given his wife a gold watch for a Christmas present, and then gave his correct name and address. The watch was . produced and was identified by the complainant as being her.property, which, had'been removed from her room in the Gresnam Hotel on 22nd December. Corroborative evidence was given by Detective Cooper Appearing for the accused, Mr We' Leicester stated tha,t his client would give ev.clence similar to the explanation he had made to the detectives. AsH'or was m the habit of frequenting gambling schools, and on one occasion, a place in Rugby street he had lent a man £2 on the watch the subject of the present charge.. Perhaps suspicions might have been aroused in the mind of a man in a reasonable frame of mind, but Asher had been winning consistently and did not stop to consider the position. P The accused a married man with one child went into the witness-box and bore ouL th%s^ments of his counsel. The, Chief-Detective: "What reason had y°" .{ or gojns to the People's Palace?" liveVtSe." * t0 S6e a ™n wh°

"Why did you want to see him ?"— ingTn Sunday"^ * th°y W°Uld b° "Where is this 'man's room—on which fio^r" 13 slt«atecl?"-''On the first

lhen what were you doing, about six weeks ago on the third floor, in the portion specially set apart for females?"—"l never was there."

' "You had no right" to go there?"—"No and I never was there either " •Tr!! ri UI tt er vesti °ns, the accused admitted that he was on probation for three years.

X f - An 7"W:hf'l are T the terms of your probation ?"-"That I am not to gamble /or courses" *"" 6ep away -from race"

"Not to gamble! So you have 'been breaking your probation several times a wn<;, k ? — Yes, that's so." Ihe Magistrate said he proposed convicting, tho • accused.

The Chief-Detective quoted three previous convictions, and added that thefts from hotels were altogether too preva- ■ r g° SU™5 o£ money had been missed by several boarders in different hotels in the city. "The story about obtaining the stolen property from an unknown man is by no means a new one," remarked the Bench. Ihe accused has had his chance, and will bo sentenced to nine months' imprisonment.