HOTEL THIEF

Evening Star, Issue 22683, 24 June 1937, Page 10

HOTEL THIEF

YOUNG MAN COMMITTED FOR SENTENCE STOLE £53 FINK ACTOR . A. plea of guilty was entered .in th« Police to-day by James .Hastings Hoyco Hampstead, alias Janies , Tipa (27), to the theft of £53 in money, the property of Roland Romas, the offence taking place in a city hotel at Which Romas, a member of the Marcus Show, was a guest. The accused, was committed to the. Supreme Court for sentence, and a further charge of'.tip theft of 15s iii money and one powder Euff, valued at 3s, from another-city otel was adjourned sine die,, pending the disposal of the indictable matter. Mr C. J. L. White represented the accused, and the prosecution was. conducted by Chief-detective Young. Roland Romas, a member of the Marcus Company, said that he was staying at a city hotel. He arrived in Dunedin last Saturday by special train, and when he arrived at his hotel .he had approximately ■ £65 in notes and some loose change in 'his. troviser pockets. He went to the room allocated to him and retired to hfed. He awoke about 1 p.m., and got dressed. He went down for lunch and then to His Majesty’s Theatre. He then discovered that the sum of £53 in notes had been stolen from his trouser pockets. He had hung his trouser* behind the door while he,was : in’bed.; To Mr White: Some money had bcga left, in silver and notes.’ A housemaid-waitress at the hotel said that about 1 p.m. on Saturday last; going upstairs after lunch, she saw the accused, in whose presence she said to her companion she wondered if. she should wake the previous witness. Th« accused said he would go and wake him, and he went towards the bedroom.; To Mr White witness said she thought the accused might hare belonged to tho show. , , Detective Taylor skid that on. Saturday last he made inquiries into the matter. Detective Gibson and himself went to the Town Hall, and at the finish of the wrestling bout they noticed the accused leaving the hall, accosted him, and took him to the detective office. He was questioned regarding the theft of £53 from the hotel. At first the accused denied the theft, but later admitted it. The sura of £l7 11s 4d was found in his possession, and part of it was recovered from a sock. They later recovered two £5 notes which the accused had deposited with the licensee of a. north end hotel. The accused pleaded guilty, and wa* committed to the Supreme Court for sentence. The Magistrate made'an order that the amount recovered, £27 11s 4d, b* returned to the complainant. The Magistrate refused fyail, and said that the matter might bo referred to him again. The police might make inquiries where he was living and regarding conditions under which ho should report. The Chief Detective said that the money obtained had apparently been squandered. The accused had gone to Oamaru in a taxi. He added that tho summary charge against the accused was of theft from another hotel.