MISSING OVERCOAT FOUND.

Hawera Star, Volume XLV, 5 August 1925, Page 4

MISSING OVERCOAT FOUND.

AN ALLEGED LOAN. FROM MYSTERIOUS FRIEND. His inability to satisfactorily explain his possession of an overcoat identified by another person as being the coat he had lost at a dance in tne Ei'tham iown Hall accounted for the appearance of John Henry Fitzgerald before Mr A. M. Mowiem, S.M., in the Eltlnim Magistrate’s Court yesterday to answer a charge of theft. Accused, who conducted his case unaided, pleaded not gui'ty, and elected to have the case summarily dealt with. Unfortunately lor his case, lie* was unable to convince the court of the authenticity of his assertions regarding a mysterious friend whom lie alleged had ’oaned him the overcoat, and after lengthy evidence had been presented he "was convicted and fined £2 and 15s costs, o,r in default fourteen days’ imprisonment. Police proceedings were conducted by Sergeant Henry, who said that during a dance held in the Eltham Town Hall on July 24 a man had left lus overcoat in the cloak-room, but was unable to find it after the.dance, and had reported the loss to Constable Townsend. After making inquiries, the constable had visited the accused’s room at the Empire Hoiel, Stratford, and had found the missing coat in the wardrobe. Hie accused had told Constab e Townsend that at the dance mentioned a friend he had “met at the war.” but whose name lie could not remember, had loaned him the coat until the following day. Accused further stated he had waited in E*tliaiii the follow inday , "but liad not sson t-lic owner (S the coat, and as he had to return to Stratford that evening had it with him, intending to return it as soon as possible. R.:iv Copplestone (Mata), who said the coat produced in court was the one he had lost at. the dance, gave evidence that he had left it in the cloak-room at about 11 p.m., but had been una.be to find it on going for it at about 2 a.m.. though his cap, which had been in the pocket of the coat, was lying on the floor. He had not given anyone authority to take the coat, ana did not know the accused. A housemaid employed at the Coronation Hotel, Eltham, disposed to having seen the coat on the morning after the dance in the room which had been occupied by the accused. L. Page, a member of the Eltham Fire Brigade, who had been on duty at the dance, said he* had seen accused arrive. Accused was not then wearing an overcoat, hut during the evening, and later, at about 1.30 a.m., witness had seen him. leaving the building wearing an overcoat similar to the one produced in court. Constable Townsend corroborated the evidence outlined bv Sergeant Henry, and said lie had interviewed several local returned so'diers who knew the accused, but could not find one who had loaned him an overcoat on the

t of the dance. _ Accused, from the witness-box, affirmed tlie statement lie had previously made to Constable Townsend concerning a friend whom he had met at the war. but whose name ne did not know, having ’ent him the coat earlv in the evening to go to the Coronation Hotel, and latev till £h« following morning, •Mid f-’rther stated that on Ju’y 27, the dav Constable Townsend interviewed him at Stratford, he had intended reinning to Elfcham t-o try to find the owner. In giving the judgment indicated •-’hove."the magistrate intimated that the C'xeuse offered had been worn threadbare, and could not lie accepted in the light of the evidence presented-