SHEARING A COAT

Evening Star, Issue 18716, 19 August 1924, Page 8

SHEARING A COAT

RESULTS IN VISIT TO POLICE COURT. There Ims been an epidemic of thefts from dance halls lately, and one of these obnoxious visitors to a cloakroom, Michael Joseph .Shannon, made his appearance at the Police Court yesterday morning. Ho was a young man of quiet voice and alert brain, and was charged with stealing, on July 17, an overcoat valued at £4 15s, the property of Leslie Neilson Harris. Leslie Neilson Harris, a clerk employed in the Public Trust Office, said that ho went to a dance at the Early beltlers’ Hall on July 17, hanging his overcoat in tho cloakroom. "Witness gave evidence as to seeing the coat being worn by the accused, and told how eventually he had obtained the garment. Accused said he had bought the coat from a man in the street for 10s. A gentleman described as “Danny” was said to have been present at the time of the transaction. Witness missed bis coal at 11 o’clock.' Daniel Craig M. Andrews, who stated he had known the accused for six or seven months, said that he had not been present when accused bought the overcoat produced. Cross-examined, witness told a story about the doings of himself and accused on the night of' the 17th, The narrative covered a visit together to a boxing school and supper at witness's home, the two parting company somewhere after 11 o’clock. Detective limit read a statement by accused as to the purchase of the overcoat from a man for ten shillings, lie knew this man only by sight. Accused admitted that he was in the habit of attending dances at the Art CJallcry Hall. This closed the case for the prosecution, and the accused, an hotel employee, testi- * fled that he recalled his actions on tho 1 night of tho 17th so well, partly because I ho was at the Capping Ball on the following night. Witness gave evidence on the lines of Ids statement. Cross-examined by the chief detective the accused said that ho belonged to Perth, and had been over hero for tho past six months. Ho bad been employed as a motor car driver as well as an hotel porter in Australia. It was right to say that one got a, good know; 'dge of the, ways of the world in these occupations; yel he purchased tho coal in ail good faith.' William Camr-he'.l. a baker and boxing instructor, stated that the accused and Andrews were pupils of his. He remembered July 17, because he arrived by motor car that day from tho North Otago championships. Accused and Andrews walked along (o the junction of Leith and Hanover strcvls with him after the school was closed The two left witness there somewhere between 10 and 10.15. The Chief Detective : You cannot say what happened after that; we know the coat was all right at 10 o’clock!—No.

Mr Baylce submitted that tho last tiling a guilty man would do would be to wear tho coat about the town. The mere fact of saying that he had paid only 10s for tho coat pointed to his telling the truth. Shannon had not been able to find tho man from whom he purchased the coat; this was not surprising, in view of tho reports in the papers last week. The Magistrate remarked that it was very noticeable that neither Campbell nor Andrews was very definite about times. Ho was not satisfied that the accused had left Andrews’s home after 11 o’clock. Often in cases of theft the mysterious, unknown man who sold the stolen article, came in, and evidence regarding him required to bo carefully searched, and in this case the accused failed to satisfy him that ho had purchased the coat from any man. He had no reasonable doubt that the accused did steal the coat. Ho would bo convicted. Accused was remanded in custody for sentence, the probation officers to bo asked to make a report.