THEFT FROM THE DEAD

Gisborne Times, Volume LXIII, Issue 10139, 27 October 1925, Page 3

THEFT FROM THE DEAD

: CHARGE AGAINST OLD MAN. : ; GOLD WATCH STILL MISSING.'

ACCUSED REMANDED FOR SEVEN DAYS TO.THLSIv IT OVER

“You may. have yielded to a sudden temptation, but it was a mean and contemptible thing to steal this dead boy’s possessions.” In these words Air E. O. Levvey, S.M., addressed George Bovin, aged 63, and who looked, his years, as he stood in the dock in the Police Court yesterday. Bovin was charged with stealing on September 13, at Kanakanaia, a gold watch, a camera, a razor strop, and a. silver pencil, valued at £lO, the property of the estate of James Bradshaw. The theft recalled the pathetic tragedy of the death of Bradshaw 7 , the young English public schoolboy., working on Air Bruce’s station at Kanakanaia, where he was killed outright by a tree which crashed down in a gaie of w 7 ind. Evidence of Bovin’s previous character was given by Constable Leckie, who stated he had known him for* seven years, arid although accused had been convicted several times for drunkenness this u T as the first case against him involving dishonesty. Bovin elected to be dealt witk summarily, and pleaded not guilty. Outlining the facts- ' .the. SeniorSergeant- stated that Bradshaw, a young cadet engaged on Air Bruce’s 'farm at Kanakanaia, had been killed by a tree crashing during a high gale. At the time, Bradshaw and Bovin occupied ..the same whare, and after lus death, when his employers were packing up his possessions, articles were found missing, and on a search of Bovin’s room being made the pencil, camera, and a razor strop were found there, but there was no trace of the gold watch, which even yet had not been found. Robert Bruce, sheepfarmer of Kanakanaia, recalled the death of James Bradshaw, a cadet engaged on his station, through being crushed by a falling tree. Bradshaw, he said, had occupied the same whare as Bovin up to the time of-the tragedy. On a casual inspection of Bradshaw’s room after the occurrence, he noticed a gold watch hanging on the .wall above the dead boy’s bed, and had. seen other articles in the room and in the lad’s possession. These possessions remained in the room for five or six days after the tragedy, and prior to going to town one day, lie had instructed Bovin to keep an eye on these articles. After Bradshaw’s funeral;’ the lad’s grandfather had asked him to pack the boy’s possessions, but when this was started they missed the watch and other articles. Suspicious of Bovin, he asked his wife and another youth to search Bovin’s room, with the result that the razor strop, camera and pencil were found there. He had questioned Bovin several times' regarding the disappearance of the articles, but the latter denied all knowledge of them. Evidence of the discovery or tlie missing articles iu Bovin’s room was given by Airs Bruce and two English youths employed oil the station, the razor strop being found beneath the mattress, the camera on a top shelf, and the pencil in a kit bag, but tlieie was iio trace of the watch. The accused, giving evidence, stated that he had no- knowledge of how the articles came to he in his room, except that he admitted to using the razor strop. , ... The Magistrate: But how did the articles get into your room ?—I don t j know anvthing about them. • ! Who put the parcel iri your bag?— I don’t know. i There isn’t anyone there who has got you set is there?—No, I’vo only i been there six weeks. You are an old man. Why don t you tell the truth?—l am i ‘ What did you do with the watch ?-- I never had it. I’ve got a watch ol my own; what do I want with another one ?' „ , ~ „ i Are you going to tell bow these things got into your room. Jhat s what’s puzzling me _ . “Well ” observed the Magistrate, coldly, “it’s not puzzling me ’ The Senior-Sergeant intimated that Air Bruce was particularly desirous to <r C t back the gold watch, which would he much prized by the deceased s father. The accused, he explained,was a gardener, doing work on stations, all over the country. “On the evidence,” observed the Magistrate. “I lmve no doubt that vou" stole these articles. Aon may have vielded to a sudden temptation, hut it was a mean and contemptible tiling to take this dead boy s possessions If you tell us what you did wi h the watch, I might be disposed to treat you leniently. you are an old man, and it’s very hard to know what to do with you. I don t want to.send you to gaol. I remandl you for sentence m custody for seven days.' That may give you time to think where the watch «J. If .wu tell us I may be disposed to tieat you differently.”