THEFT CHARGES.

Grey River Argus, 5 August 1922, Page 2

THEFT CHARGES.

AGAINST BLACKBALL RESIDENT. Yesterday at the Magistrate’s Court, i Greymouth, before Mr W. Meldrum.' S.M.. Henry Newton, engine driver, of Bla<-’/»- 11, appeared on a charge that , on April 29 last he stole from the house: of Hannah J. Campbell, at Blackball, 15 single bl.-mkcls ami leal quilts, am! live single sheets, of the total value of j Detective J. Young prosecuted, ami the accused was represented by M r W. J. Joyce. Hannah Josephine Campbell, licensee of the Dominion Hotel, Blackball, deposed that in company with her sister she attended the Reefton races on zXpril 29. Her attention was drawn to loss of blankets from beds in different rooms. About 25 single blankets, five single sheets and four quilts had been t: ken, worth approximately C3O. She reported the matter to the police. On July 28 last witness was railed by the police to accused’s hut. She was shown some blankets and the counterpane, which she recognised. The blankets produced were tho ones she saw in the hut. She knew the quilt by a darning mark made by her sister. She was quite satisfied these blankets and quilts were those stolen from her place. She had not given * permission to anyone for the removal of the blankets. To Air Joyce: She recognised a grey blanket on account of its frayed end and a part sewn together. There was also a blue mark on one from running dye. She bought the blankets seven years ago from the previous proprietor of the hotel. Siu* lent blankets to the authorities during the influenza epidemic, and before doing so marked them. She did not think any of the blankets produced bore the distinguishing marks. To Detective Young: She did not lend all the she had. She had many not m: rked. The general colouring of the blankets resembled that of the ones lost.

Julia Marie Fitzgerald, s’ster of the previous witness with whom she resid ■d, said when she returned from the Reefton races in April, lier attention was drawn to two beds stripped of blankets, counterpane ami sheets in sue roeni ami blankets were also missing from beds in other rooms. Approxi[n.'.tely 25 blankets, four quilts and live sheets were missing. With her sister she went to the accused's house' on .July 28, and recognised the counterpane ami a. grey blanket, and all the blankets were similar in pattern to those missing from the hotel. To Air Joyce: She also recognised a ki.'.fe iii accused's hut as having been stolen from tl.e hotel. The knife produced was /<.• one. “1 will : sk that it be put in,” said Mr Joyce, “it's rather important.” Witness wcml-1 not swear io the knife being that she recognised as her sister’s, which was more worn on the blade. While in the hut her sister said two towels she raw in the lint were similar to hers. There were other grey blankets in the accused's hut similar to tl > oil' 1 produced. She remembered h:.t the marks placed an the bin': - when they were loaned out during the epidemic had red crosses in tho corners, sewn with silk or brilliant cotton. The blankets had been used in tiehotel since 1913. She could not say whether any of the crosses ami marks were to be found in any of the blankets produced as she did not examine them. There were other grey blankets

similar to those lost by witness’s sister, but the latter could not swear to them, neither could she. At different time-; other articles had been stolen from the hotel. When the dining-room door was loft open, glassware had been taken from the dining table. There would bo more unmarked than marked blankets in the hotel. Constable Gurdin (Blackball) rc'mcmbered being called to the Dominion Hotel by Mrs Campbell. He found the clothes had been stripped from five beds. He obtained a warrant to search the accused’s hut on July 28. He found the blankets produced also the counterpane. lie got the complainant and her sister to identify the clothes. He arrested the accused, took him to the lock-up and charged him with the offence. To Mr Joyce: He went to tho accused’s hut on the Sunday previous to July 28. The door was unlocked He searched through the beds and boxes and the blankets produced were there then. His reason for going to the hut was to search for some other property that had been stolen. Nothing was said about the blankets except a casual remark from the witness that

one of tho quilts was thin. Accused I I said he had it for about five years. There were some blankets in the bed and some single blankets in a box. When witness brought the warrant, he asked accused if he wished to have it read, and accused said, “No it’s all right, carry on!'' He found the same, bedding as on the Sunday. The ac-I Sensed and witness brought Airs Campbell and her sister to accused’s hut. As they were coming out of the hut. Airs Campbell caught hold of a tow- „ cl hanging on the line. Accused said, f “Are you going to say that is yours?” Airs Campbell said, “No Harry, but it is very similar!” One of the lad-i ics picked up a white handled knife , and said, “This is very much like one ( of our knives.” He did not hear her say that tho knife was hers. The ae- j cused had been living in the hut since February. The accused, as far as he knew left Blackball on the Tuesday morning and returned on the Thursday. He went to the hut, which was locked on Tuesday. To Detective Young: Some blankets were in boxes and others on the bed. The hut was locked on the Tues-

day, and the blankets out of the sight of anyone unless he were in the huz. The reason why he obtained the warrant to search the hut w:is because of what he had seen on Sunday’s visit. I Mrs Campbell was very careful in her I identification. j Defence was reserved ami a plea of not guilty entered. Accused was committed for trial bail ■ being fixed in two suritics of £25