THEFT OF FOR COAT ALLEGED

Evening Post, Volume CXXIII, Issue 71, 25 March 1937, Page 19

THEFT OF FOR COAT ALLEGED

A charge of theft of a fuE coat a alued a'+ *£27 10s, froni a Wellington hotel, on, Tuesday night was preferred, against-John Paton Hardy, alias John Paton, a compositor, aged 32, in the Magistrate's Court yesterday Mr E X> Mosjej, S.M, was on the Bench, i Detective-Sergeant J Doyle prosecuted, and Mr M. Iv'eal appeared for the accused Detective William R Murray said that, he, arrested accused at the. Graiid Central Hatel at 7 40 on Tuesday night When' asked if he had anything to say, accused said, 'I have nothing to say, but I> would v like, you to make a note, of this,reply" The accused was slightly under .the influence of liquor, but w.ould'*-be described'as "sober"' Elsie Crosbie said that she, recently arrived in. the Dornimon froni Sydneyi and was leavingyfor. England by the Arav/a-at the enti of the week She was staying in ihe Grand Central Hotel. On Tuesday evening she went to, the lounge oh the, first, floor at approximately seven o'clock. Accused went into the lounge about 7 10, then went to the lower ( end of one v corndor, and then slipped quickly into another corridor, attracting her attention/and making her feel suspicious: He had said "Good evening" when he first passed A few minutes later, quite accidently, she saw him look twice around the corner of the corridor Her suspicions were then very much aroused, so she informed the porter Accused was then near the room of two of the guests, the Misses Gregory, one of whom had come-along the corridor a few minutes previously I Cross-examined, she said that as far as she knew, the accused was intercepted in the hall at the main entrance, She was not present at the interview between the accused and the porter who intercepted him. The accused was wearing a hat when he looked around the corner of the corridor Miss Rita G. I Gregory sajd that she and her sister Lucy resided as guests at the Grand Central Hotel She identified a fur coat belonging to her sister, who was ill The coat was valued at £27 She left her bedroom shortly after 7 on Tuesday night ta see a third sister Th(* fur coat produced was left in a wardrobe Proceedings were adjourned until April 7, to permit the taking of further evidence. Bail was fixed at £100 with one surety of £100

'^balletomanes,"- lovers of ballet who follow their' favourite, ballerina, from' city. ,to;;city r and; country' 'ta ■•' country. Voltaire, was. the.', earliest.; r.e,cQfd'ed| and. such, great, nineteenth, century^,artists ai 'the' .Italian. had '"their perenniaj1 following. Payloya'& admirers were legion, and tlje present reyival of■ Russian,, ballet/is, finding; the. ,sam&'cirqumstance.. No Ipftger are- thei'billet-pmanesj-princes-' and^ noblemen in 'silk: hats. and' pf;. maghiflcent;'; estate,, 'They/ s^re; earhesfc' studeiits," writers.' perhaps, mea and- women'of moderate' means and. inconspicuous/clothes.