CITY POLICE COURT

Evening Star, Issue 17924, 21 March 1922, Page 4

CITY POLICE COURT

Tuesday', March 21. (Boforo Mr J. B. Bartholomew, 8.M.) A SHABBY THEFT. Frederick Thomas Ecopcr, an elderly man, pleaded guiltv to stealing a £1 note, the property of Beryl Williams. Sub-inspector Eceles .said that tho complainant boarded with a woman with, whom accused lived. Accused searched the boarder's box in her absence, on tho pretence of finding' out where sho had come from, and had extracted iho note. On complaint being made, accused told Serjeant .Shanahan that lie had only 5s 10d"on him, but tho sergeant found another two shillings in. Iris pocket and a ten-shilling note cone-Baled m tho lining of his hat. It was a mean theft, added tho sub-inspector, who asked that the money found on accused bo handed to the complainant, who was a, single- girl working for a living. His Worship : I eoe accused has served previous sentences for theft. Accused remarked that the offence was committed while he was in a state of intoxication. He had boon unable- to get any work. i'lis Worship : As the sub-inspector Kays, this is a shabby theft, and the accused has a bad record, lie will bo sentenced to two months' hard labor. Tho money found on accused (17s lOd) was ordered to be handed to the complainant. SIX MONTHS FOR THEFT. Dibb Id our, for v.-horn Mr I'nvin appeared, pleaded guilty, and elected to be. dealt with summarily, on a charge of .stealing ■throe- overcoats, valued at £l4 10s, tho property of John M'Donald. Chief-detective Bishop said that a man named Drummond, who travelled for M'Donald, wont to the Gridiron Hotel to do business, leaving a parcel of samples ■while he proceeded further south. On returning to the hotel he left another parsel, which contained tho overcoats, behind a door in the passage while he went to get tho first parcel.' During his brief absence tho package of overcoats disappeared. Drummond advertised to the effect- that "if tho person seen taking narcel of overcoats from tho Gridiron Hotel did not return same lie would be prosecuted," but with no result. The matter was reported to tho police, and Detective Beer searched accused's premises, and found the missing coats, one of which accused had been wearing. Accused had a bad record, added the, Chief Detective, and it was a question whether he had not qualified for an habitual criminal.

Mr Irwin said tliat accused's story was tJia.t he had been hawking, and had taken two parcels into the hotel. - Onc of those had been taken by .someone, who left the parcel of overcoats in its place. This, of course, said counsel, was no excuse for accused not returning the coats when ho found the misfakc.' The man was a peculiar mixture, working very hard for a period, and then slacking off and -going hawking. When in a working mood ho could do the work of two men. It was only when in drink that he went astray. The Chief Detective said that the police had frequent complaints about the man., who was looked npon as a. clever swindler, who kept very close to the law. A number of "firms 'had sought unsuccessfully to get payment for goods which had been obtained tiy accused by racras which approached fake pretences. His Worship : It is not very difficult to get drapery on false pretences, judging by oiir experience in this court. His Worship added that the accused ha/1 a- long list, ami appeared to be a peculiar combination of hard-working man and rogue. He would bo sentenced to six months' imprisonment, wth hard labor. MAINTENANCE.

Charles Jamea Mnrtajh, for whom Mr Moore .appeared, was charged with disobedience'of a rosintcnamw order in, respect of his wife, the arrears being stated at £54. Murtagh also applied _ for the variation of tho order and remission of arrears.

Mr Moore fiuid defendant was unable to work regularly owirxj to a trouble arising from an amputated log. Mr Irwin (for complainant) suggested it was drink that cawed the trouble.

His Worship said it would appear that defendant had had a good deal of misfortune of late, though his conduct might possibly have aggravated it Thero did not seem to bo much hope of recovering the arrears, and the best thing to do wati to cancel these, and eon that the man did not get back in his paymenta in future. The- arrears wero remitted, to March 'J, 1 and the information for disobedience dk-mit-sod.