TWO £5 NOTES.

Evening Star, Issue 14628, 26 July 1911, Page 4

TWO £5 NOTES.

AX OLD MAX'S HOARD,

Oscar Anderson alias Carl Olsen. a young man, was charged before Mr H. Y. Widdowson, S.IIL, in the Police Court this morning that on July 9, at Shiei Hill, he did steal £lO from the dwelling-house of Walter Thomson, whose property the money was.

Chief-detective Herbert conducted the prosecution, and called the informant, an old man.

"How do you spell your name?" was the first question put to him. " With a 'p ' or wanting a ' p '—anv way you like." "How do you prefer it?" "Wanting "a 'p,'" said the witness, and his preference was resected. Thomson said lie was aTaborer. residing in a house on Mr Donaldson's' farm at Sbiel Hill. He knew the accused. He remembered being with accused in a mangel yaddock on July 9. He told the accused at that time that be might be goingto the Old Country after Christmas. Accused said : " You'll not go Home, became you have no money." Witness then told accused that he had £lO. and showed him two £5 notes. He then put them back into his pocket. Accused told him that he had never seen a £5 note before. Tlie nest day (Monday) witness was in his ' house at midday, when the accused came to the house. The trousers in the pockets of which were the two £5 notes were hanging at the back of the door. Witness was in bed, but got up, and put on a different pair of trousers. Witness went outside, leaving the accused in the room for two or three minutes. After witness returned to light the fire accused went away almost immediately. On the Tuesday morning witness discovered, whilst going into Caversham, that the notes wer» gone. He had had the notes for three o*four months. One of the notes was a blu« note issued by the Bank of New South Wales; the other was a Bank of New Zealand note. A calico bag in which he kept the notes was also gone. Xo one had been at his house from the time accused left nntd he (witness) came into Caversham. The house was locked up at night. Xo other but the accused knew that he had tne money.

William Donaldson fdairv farmer at Shi©! Hill) said that the old man lived m a cottage on his "farm. Accused came to work for him in June, .and remained in it till arrested. Ho had a recollection, from something accused t>aid, that the latter had said that he had only eighteenpenoe. He was not sure, however, whether accused meant that he had only this sum or thai, he had spent such a sum on cigarettes. On July 15 witness met accused going to town in the morning. Witness w;,s surprised, because accused had said he was going iu during the afternoon. Accused asked if witness- had any money, stating that he wanted to get tilings in town. Witness gave him the few pence he/ had—ls. Up to this date witness had not given, accused any of his wages. When accused got tho shilling he said it would pay his fare and buy him a shave, and he could get money from a friend in town. Accused returned between 5 and 6 p.m., and next morning when witness went into accused's room he saw a new pair of tan boots, similar to those_ produced. Later the same day he was in the room; with the constable' and accused, and saw a grey suit of clothes which he had not seen before, \>ut which he could not say was new, a. new shirt, and a new collar. Accused said to the constable that he got the hoots on the Weft Coast, _ but the mark inside was " Loft, Dunedin." The remark that accused made to witness after the constable had gone was that the old man must have mislaid the notes. The Rev. Vincent Brvan King, who conducts the Men's Mission in Fillets! street, said that on June 24, 25, and 26 accused stayed in the mission-house. He left on June 27 without saying where he wis eoing. Fie was Rent to the home as being destitute, and lived there without paying anything. John Goldstein (running a boot .-hop known as Loft and Co.) stated that the, boots produced were sold bv him on .lulv 15 for 18s 6d, but he did not know to whom he sold them, nor did he recognise accused. He sold at the same lime tv,n pairs of socks, one pair similar to tboee accused was wearing. He receive.! the £'s note produced on the unne (lav are! about the saiiiO time that he sold the boots. Miss Williams said she had seen the accused before. On July 15 at her mother's shop she sold to him the suit of i lollies lie now wore. .Accused asked her to keep the clothes for him until he not the money. He returned in the afternoon and p.Jd for the t-aiit. She thought lie gave Iter a sovereign. He had three parcels with him, and left them the-re for a time. One of the parcels look'd as though it contained a pair of boo's. He called about 5 o'clock and look them awav. Corn-table Uiii'/s stated that on July 16 he saw accused in the hitter's room. He said be had bought the boots on the West C'oasf. He admitted buying a collar and tie in Dmu'din the previous day. but said he did not know where he got them, nor could he remember the place, again. Witness asked how much money accused had, andj he produced lis. He appeared cross fhf'ii. and wanted to know what it was all about. Witness said that the old man dov.ii the ealiy complained of missing some inniiev, and accused was the onlv person visiting the old man. Witness also aidf-d where ai-nscd got) money, seeing that he had no.-;e, in the morninc and only got a shiilin- from Donaldson. Accused said that he had pawned an overcoat, but when n«k"d further said that it v. as not at a !h" nsed pawnshop, aval be had hi..! the ticket. Accused denied haviie: s''ii Thomson's mone*-. whereupon wit ■!'-s afkrd that Thomson 1,.. ,-oit f.-e. f whe was present, left the room to eei him. and thni explained lie.! oo Ho previous Snndav ThoVm-oe had s-er:: him wmt monev, r.-'.i! he had not noiiod vnat money it wart. Detective Ward depose..i a? to 'iKjti'rnig into the mati-r. He sa« ac i:.■ -h y.he. in ansv.v' 1 <; ,;-.,-:,: .o,is. ,-. ■■ e- !.-■. o--. employed by Donaldson fee two a:-d c );e.f week'-, bis ; w;e'cs bemee f 1 ('■"' - v " ■■ :ii,;i «ft!!!d.' ]V>r;:i ; - ilia' 'tin-.- !>•■ !i"d .i-a-yn 2s' 6d. Ae-cmrd' ako told hi'e l\:.t hbought several articles ~: cb>!i:i>i- end a ~«ir of H- saM l;e jvM !- ' .Hv. boots out of reoe.ey he •_"•'. he' '■' '"■■' ''" boots eost I Pis 6d. H '• !d him that c : bad £2 10s in town. wh:--h !"■ h"'. srev, but be refused to cav where he :iao toe money depotited. Accrs-d admiti-.i th-u K'e *•■,! o;dv three .shdlinev v.hr-u ~.- left Donaldsoiie. When arrested accused ha-i lis in his possession. Accused, who pleaded not g;'i!!y.. wjs committed to the Supreme >Ve>rt tor mar.