A SORDID DRAMA

Grey River Argus, 4 May 1932, Page 4

A SORDID DRAMA

£723 ROBBERY Girl Charged CROWN WITNESS BLAMED. (Per Press Association;. WELLINGTON, May 3. An allegation that one of the Crown witnesses, and not the accused, stole the money was made to-day in tho defence in a case in which Charlotte Kain is on trial on an allegation that on March 25 she stole £723 in money from the Constable Street premises of Low Foo, a Chinese fruiterer. The evidence given by the accused was that the suggestion to rob Low Foo came from a man, Chapman, and that she tried to prevent him from doing it. but that Chapman went to. the premises of Low Foo and forced his way in. She became frightened, and knowing that, once the money was gone, she would naturally be suspected, she therefore left the premises. Chapman, under cross-examination by the defence counsel, denied every suggestion of this sort. He also denied that he was at Low Foo’s on the night of the robbery.

The Girl Acquitted

(Per Press Association). WELLINGTON, May 3. After a trial lasting for a day and a-half, Charlotte Kaiu, who is a Hawaiian, aged 26, was found not guilty in the Supreme Court to-day of having stolen £723 in bank notes from Low Foo, Chinese fruiterer, of 74 Constable Street. A Crown witness, Reginald Chapman, a married relief worker, told of a conversation with the accused in which he said she admitted taking tho money on the night of March 25 when skc stayed at Low’s shop. From tho witness box, the accused asserted that Low carried on prostitution on a large scale.

She alleged that Chapman threatened, in a conversation with her, to take money from Low. and on tho night of March 25, called at the shop. Low was asleep, and witness went to the door to ask Chapman to depart. She asserted that Chapman forced his way in. and was present when she went to reassure Low, who was awakened by the noise. The Chief Justice, summing up, described thp case as a sordid drama. When the verdict was announced, there was applause, which was promptlv silenced.