THEFT OF WALLET

Evening Post, Volume CXXV, Issue 148, 25 June 1938, Page 16

THEFT OF WALLET

OLD MAN CONVICTED

; A,denial' that he .knew anything about the matter was made by William Brown, i>f «,Trentham, aged 79, when he was charged in the Upper Hutt Courf yesterday before Mr. H. P. Lawry, S.M., with the theft of alwallet fcohtaining a pound note; the total value.being £2 10s. Sydney -William John Cottier, a bank clerk, said he Was a passenger in the 11.15 p.m. train from Wellington on May 28. He fell asleep arid was awakened.b*Athe guard Hutt. When he had alighted on the platform he found that his wallet, which was of grey suede and contained.his initials, was missing. There was at least one pound note in it and possibly two. Gerald Gray, clerk, said that after the previous witness left the train he saw the defendant scratching something across the floor with his walking stick. "This object was a grey wallet which contained two initials and the defendant put the wallet in his pocket. When' the .guard came round the defendant did not say anything to him. At Belmont witness told the guard what, he had seen. The defendant did not seem to understand what was medntwhen he was asked if he had the wallet., , "Do you .want to ask this witness any questions?" asked the Magistrate; ' "I cannot hear what he'says," replied the defendant. • » -, ; "You can hear sufficiently well if you wish," said the Magistrate, who Warned the defendant against trifling with the Court. William John;PrlctOr, guard on the train, also gave evidence. . Constable F. J. Williams read a statement in which Brown denied all knowledge of the wallet, and in evidence, the defendant repeated this denial. "You must be convicted as the other man saw you pick up the wallet," said the Magistrate to Brown, who was convicted and "ordered to come up for sentence if called on within twelve months and to pay the value of the ' wallet and cbntehts. •