LONDON STORE LOSSES

Evening Star, Issue 20255, 16 August 1929, Page 1

LONDON STORE LOSSES

ALLEGED KNIFE INCIDENT Alleged extensive thefts from the Goldsmiths’ and Silversmiths’ Company were referred to at Marlborough Street Police Court, when Charles Joseph Edmunds, twenty-two-year-old salesman, was charged With stealing a tortoiseshell comb in case, an enamel vanity bag, a gold hunter watch, together valued at £6B 10s, the property of the company, by whom he was employed. He was also charged with assaulting Detective Grant. Mr Roome, for the prosecution, said that valuable articles were missed from stock from time to time, and altogether tiio losses incurred by the firm in one year amounted to thousands of pounds. A watch was kept on Edmunds’s movements, and when in May he gave notice, saying ho had a job in Calcutta to go to, a warrant to search his home was obtained, and detectives found in his bedroom ivory brushes and in his sister’s room a vanity case, comb, and other things. Edmunds was arrested, and at Vine Street Police Station made a voluntary statement in which, said counsel, he admitted taking the vanity bag and comb, and found afterwards that he was unable to pay for them. He gave them to his sister because he was afraid to put them hack in stock. He also admitted pawning the two watches in fictitious names. . .

Mr Roome stated that inquiries showed that prisoner had been giving presents to young women, to one of whom he gave a diamond and sapphire ring. Dealing with the charge of assault, Mr Roome said prisoner was admitted to bail on May 29. Ho wrote a letter to his parents stating he was going abroad, and that information came to the knowledge of the police. He was met bv Detectives Benyon and Grant at St.'Pancras Station, and the detectives told him they had reason to believe he was absconding from his bail. Ho was placed in a taxi cob. where lie raised his hand, and Detective Benyon, seeing a. flash of steel, struck him in the face. Prisoner then dropped a kmio on tho floor. . , , . .Edmunds was again remanded in custody.