MUSEUM THEFT ADMITTED

Hawera Star, Volume LIII, 2 August 1933, Page 4

MUSEUM THEFT ADMITTED

GOLD AND SILVER, COINS

YOUTH HIDES IN BUILDING

WANGANUI. July 31. A youth aged 17, Sydney Lionel Vinton, who bid in the Wanganui Museum after the custodian left and then stole gold and silver coins valued at £2l, appeared before Mr J. H. Salmon, S.M., to-day on a. charge of theft. He pleaded guilty, and was remandec in custody. D’etective Walsh said that after the museum custodian left the building Vinten came downstairs from his hiding plaice and opened a case containing coins with a small screw driver which he had brought with him for the purpose. He took 36 silver coins and six gold coins. Some of them were rattier valuable, one being a silver penny piece of the time of Charles 11., while others would be very difficult to replace, although only valued at face value. The coins were missed test Saturday, and on inquiries being made it was found that accused had sold a number of them to a local dealer. All the property known to have been taken bad been recovered.' Counsel for accused, Mr C. F. Treadwell. said that Vinten had a workshop of his own for doing radio repairs, and had no regular employment. He had incurred a considerable number o f ddbts. and creditors, were pressing him. The money obtained by selling the coins was used for paying some of the debts. It was alooulsed’si first offence and counsel urged probation. The magistrate said lie would announce sentence to-morrow, but he added that it was a very serious offence, aid it did not follow that probation would be granted..