STEEL-PAYNE BELLRINGERS.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XLVIII, Issue 8163, 28 February 1905, Page 3

STEEL-PAYNE BELLRINGERS.

On Monday niglit the Steelo-Payne BHlringers, who are well-known in this cJ'jhtrict, gave an excellent performance in the Opera House, which was fairly well" filled by an enthusiastic audience. Tlu« company is composed of first-class artists, and the way they carried out their several parts won the approbation of those present — so much so that every item was encored. The bellringing was, perhaps, tlnmost .interesting feature, and the music the company got out- of the bells was astonishing. The second item, "Sweel Chiming Bells" was particularly good and a double encore was demanded. Miss Lizzie Payne appeared in a number of roles, and in each she displayed considerable versatality. "Scotch Airs," played on sleigh bells was her first success, and tncn associated with Misses Maud Payne, Lena Fisher, and Master Claude iSteeU', she earned repeated em ores in :i quartette, "A Sailor's Life," a banjo and mandoline quartette, and in a number of coon songs. Miss Maud Payne played a violin solo in excellent style, while her rendering of "We all grow old in time" was most acceptable. Mr Ralph Steele, the leader of this talented company, was as usual a favorite with the audience. "Isn't that like a Man," a humorous sons,', and a glassaphonc selection were doubly encored. Mr T. Elstou sang "Blue Bell," and recited that well-known poem of Ogilvie's "The C?ec Bung Polw Club." At the conclusion a musical sketch bringing out humorously the trials and tribulations of the typical waiter in ordinary Jif<> was remarkably well done by Messrs Ralph Steele, Tom Elston and Master Cldiide Steele. The costumes worn by tho ladies of the company were much above the. usual displayed by larger companies. The Steele-Paynes will no doubt have a good reception on their next trp.

From March 2, T. Sexton, of the Cash Arcade, will be in a position to receive orders for dressmaking. A first-class cutter and fitter has been obtained and satisfaction is guarauteed.

A cook is advertised for. Mr L. H. McAlpine will sell by public auction on Thursday next the household furniture of Mr C. E. Goodson at his residence in Victoria stfeet.

If do b in

(Continued from page 2.)

overeign and remarked that if Ctn\ . i s .'Mid Jones saw that note and its in >- ber they would hand it to Dett<l »c Ilishop, and also made other statenici ':;. illiiir had been supoened as a witness. li I would not be able to reach here in ti 'i\ Walter Tliomas oJnes deposed : 1 a. « a member of the firm of drivers and .Ji ■>. storekeepers at Ukaiawa. On the > »■» ■ 'it of iJeceniber 3, I left the store about P !0. 1 counted the money before closing ; >d produce a slip which shows the follow g to have been in the safe: (hie five poi <i note, 13 one pound notes, 1 sovereign. 3 half-sovereigns, 1 postal note for 2s. 1 < heque for £4, and silver and a few cc-p-pers to the value ot £1 19s 6d ; and in a small drawer of the safe one sovereign, and as near as I can tell 3s 6d in siher and two pennies, and in the cash register about 4s 5d in silver and coppprs, which I took after I had cashed up. I locked the safe myself and had the kes in my own possession. I locked the office, left the key in that door and \vi nt out by the back door, which I locked aid which key I retained. I went to my home about fifty yards away and did not hear any noise in* the night. I returned to the shop at 8.30 next morning, and found the door unlocked, and not as I li ft it on the previous night. The backroom and the office were open. I saw the safe lying on the floor of the shop, with its door open and drapery strewn around it. It had been shifted from t.,e office. Two mon must be fairly strong to lilt it. Both small drawers were tak-n out of Ihe safe, and the cash box has hecn missing ever since. I could tve that the safe had been blown open by explosives, and found portions of burnt fuse and gelignite lying near, and identify those' produced.' The safe was worth about £10 and about £7 10s to £8 worth of clothing was destroyed. (A rug and a quilt with holes blown through them woro produced). Two or three pounds of butter were taken and used in tamping the charge. I was present when Detective liisiiop opened the door with a skeleton key. It opened it easily. Elizabeth Hickson, called: I reside in Wellington and keep a boarding-house in Courtenav-place. 1 recognise the accused, but did not know their names before. Ihey came to my place to board about the end' of October last and paid for their meals and beds as they got them for the first week or so, and when these regular payments ceased I spoke to them on the matter and they said they were going to write for money from a bush contract and would pay men when the money came. I remember whrn closing my place about 11 p.m. nn November 1, they both came to the kitchen door carrying all their luggage, and said (hoy were going by train to the Hutt to a job. I said that there was no (rain running so late, and they replied that they would catch the last train only went as far as Ngahauranga and j of their "debt to me by saying i..at they I had no money but would pay on Decemi her 9. I gave them each a lunch boforo thoy went away that night. Next morning 1 at 6.30 I saw them coming down the stairs and asked them how they got back, to which they replied that the train only wilt as far as Ngaranghi. and they had t<> get out and walk back. They had breakfast and finally left that morning and I did not see them again till this morning. They said that if they did not return mey would send the money. [ have not received the money. James Graden deposed : 1 was the licen see ot the Kakaramea Hotel at the end of November last. I could swear to JelTerd, i but not to Munroe. They were shabbily dressed. They asked me for work, and • said they were no* particular as to what j kind of work it was. I told them that ! the only work here was milking and thoy | t lien wanted to know of a house to !i\ c I in for a few clays, while they got a job. j I directed them to a. house that was dej serted that day. They were away from ! ten to fifteen minutes, and on returning said that me house was locked and sei'ined rainer good for them to stop in. They . asked mo lor a job as they were hard up, ' and wanted to know if there was any j place at which they could get a feed. I sai.d that there was no place but would see if I could get them something, but was called away for some time, and when I came back they were gone. . They had 1 previously enquired if there was a plan- ■ tat ion that they could sleep in, and I ] pointed out some trees. It was in this ; direction they went. The time was about dusk. I did not see them again till now. Harry Franks : I am a cab-driver residing in Hawera, and was driving Mr Budge homo on the evening of December 2. The house is one mile from the post-office. On my way out I noticed two swaggers, and they were there on my return. About ) a week after I saw Jptterd coining off the | vain, and I identify Munroe as his companion. You can get to Okaiawa by way of the, South Road. William Thomas Cleaver: I remember the night of Saturday, December 3. I was in the Okaiawa Hotel about 9.30 on Hint night in company with my brother, , and aMr Parrott. We were in a little ! side loom behind the bar. Two strangers came in to the oar near the room. I haw both of them twice in the same I place within a short time. I next saw till-in at the police station this morning, when 1 identified Munroe from amonose\eral other men. lam satisfied beyond douot that these are the two men I saw at Okaiawa on the night named. Alfred Charles Parrott, a farm employee ' at itapuni, recognised Munroe and corroborated the -evidence of Mr Cleaver. I Walter Manning : On December 9 last I was the licensee of the Tariki Hotel j On the morning of December 9 I came ((own stairs at 6.30 and found two men waiting I recognise the acuscd as the men. Ihey called for drinks and Jeffcrd pa.v „,r them with silver. Munroc then ordered drinks and paid with a sovereign 1 noticed a roll of notes in Munroe's possesßion They said that they had just relumed from a- four-months' bush conract They returned to the hotel bei " clot m, that " lor »i»g, bring away trali' 0 ", 1 ;- 8?? ey final1 yTIo»y T Io » 1* the nj train at 8.15 a.m. I saw t i, em t|li Thomas Parnell Beans, called- 1 -un an assistant guard on the New Zealand railways. 1 reside in New Plymouth. • Sn , w l Jl° l n\" a< *«s«M" at Tariki "on December 9. They went into the front ear (No. 29) on tlin tram, a long secondclass smoker with a lavatory and drinking filter attached. It was the Manawatu ompanys car. As soon as they got on Iho tram I checked their tickets. Their tickets were issued to l'atea. 1 did not see them at Stratford, but «s the train was moving off I got on board and saw them coming from the lavatory, and they went back inside the car. A t Eltham station I heard a scuffle near the front of the tram, and saw the Eltham constable struggling with Jefferd, and saw Munroe running across the line. I whistled to him, and he stopped and looked round, but when I beckoned to him he turned again and ran across country. No one to my knowledge chased him. Michael lledican, called: I am a constable stationed at Eltham. v,n December 9, through some information I received, I went to the station to meet the mail train, and went into a second-class carriage near the engine. I saw the two accused. They were both sitting on the. same side of the car about 6ft apart. I asked the nearest (Jelferd) his name, and he said, "What do you want to know my name for?" Munroe ran out through the lavatory door, and, slamming the door quickly and holding it tight for a while, escaped. Jefferd tnen ran to the other end of the carriage, and I followed him. 1 caught, him on the platform of the carriage, and put him oif the train befoie nic. lie asked me what I meant by putting him off the train, and said he had his ticket to Patea, was a respectable man going about his business, and would make me suffer for it. He resisted violently, but 1 took Him to the police station without handcuffing him. I searched him. and found nine single notes, and two sovereigns, and • ten shillings, and eleven pence in silver and coppers. He said he had been splitting firewood for a hotelkeeper at Whangamomona for three or four days. He made no further explanation as to coming into possession of the money. When the warrant came I read it, and he replied, "That's better, I know what's up now." I secured assistance and went in search of 3lunroe, and continued the search for several days and nights. The matchbox produced, containing two dynamite caps, was handed to me by H addon, a newspaper boy, on the following day. The warrant charged Jefferd with vagrancy. Fitzroy Haddon, called : I reside at Palmerston North. On December 9 I was engaged as a newsboy on the mail train. I saw the two accused on the train that morning in a second-class smoker in the front of the train. When the train stopped at Stratford they were in the lavatory. I saw the constable try to arrest them at Eltham, as I was in the carriage. They both went to opposite doors, and I saw Jefferd arrested and Munros running away. I went into the -lavatory and found- the box (produced) containing the caps. It was concealed in the lavatory. I sent it to Constable Redican next day. John Connor, called : I am a porter In the employ of the Wellington-Manawatu Railway Company, and reside in Wellington. No. 29 car is a second-class smoker, and as I was cleaning it on December 10 I found the key produced concealed about the filter. I gave the key to the assistant stationmaster. Detective Bishop, called : On November 26 tho two accused arrived at Aramoho. I told them that if any house-breaking was done in Wanganui they would be arrested. They said they did not intend domg anything there, but that they were looking for work. . On November 29 I met them with their swags. They' said they could not stop any longer, as they had very little money, and were going up the river to Kerioi to work. They went towards Aramoho. On December 9 I saw Je ? e ™ in the P o Hce station at Hawera, and he made th.c following statement to

me:— "Munroe and I went to Wangnwi on November 29, and got to Kai Iwi that night. On the 30th we left Kai Iwi and stopped at Whenuakura, and thr. following night at Manutahi. On the 3i.l instant we .stopped at Mokoin. We ns'<H some children living in a small led hodv. who n-erp playing about, the right mad fo llawera. We .slept that night at Alokoia under some trees, and the following day passed through Hawera and slept under trees at Ngaire. Next day we went through Stratford to Toko, where we bought two loaves of bread, and then went to a store and asked for a tin of pepper, but as they had no tins I bought three pennyworth of loose pepper. We slept out that night. On the following morning we walked to Strathmore, and as it was raining we sheltered under some trees and slept in an old mill that night. The next day/ December 7, we got to Pennington's boardinghouse and had tea. lied and breakfast. We went next day to Inglewood, had some drinks, and went on to Durham road and slept in the sta tion. This morning, December 9, we had tickets for Patea. lam not going to say where 1 got the money from, as I will have to explain that to the Magistrate. 1 had about J35 on leaving gaol the last time, and earned a few pounds at Taihape, and won some money in a gambling school at Wellington." On December 10 Jefferd called me and stated :—"I: — "I won over £23 gambling at Wellington. I refuse to say what house I won the money at. I left Wellington the following day, November 8. The money found on me is part of it." At the' Court on December 12 hi' was charged with being a rogue ami a vagabond, and said : "1 will plead guilty to being a rogue and a vagabond if you will not charge me with breaking into the Okaiawa store." I told him that if I could get evidence against him I would charge him with it. He pleaded guilty and was sentenced to three months' imprisonment, and that sentence has not yet expired. I went to Okaiawa again on December 20. and tried the skeleton key (produced) in the back door, and it unlocked it easily. The accused reserved their defence, and were committed to the next sitting of the Supreme Court at New Plymouth. Mi -Atkinson applied to have the trial held at a later sitting, but the prosecution pointed out that the trial must be at tho first sitting after the preliminary hearing. Bail was granted in the * following terms : — Accused £150 each, and two omer sureties of £75 each.

It is understood that five witnesses will appear for the defence, two coming from near Invercargill.

[ TAKING DESPERATE CHANCES. It is true that many contract col.ds and recover from them without taking any precaution or treatment, and a knowledge of this fact leads others to take their chances instead uf giving their colds the needed attention. It should be borne in mind that every cold weakens the lungs, lowers tho vitality, makes the system less able to withstand each succeeding cold and paves the way for more serious diseases. Can you afford to tako such desperate chances when Chamberlain's Cough ltemedy, famous for its cures of colds, may be had for a trifle ? For sale by W. ! . Wallace, Hawera. — Advt, BEDSTEADS & WIRE MATTRESSES. Having decided to considerably reduce my large stock of Bedsteads and Wire Mattresses I offer them at the following greatly-reduced prices for Cash for one month: 3ft Bedsteads 23s 6d, 4ft Bedsteads 27s 6d. 4ft 6in by lin tubes 27s 6d. 4ft 6in Brass-rail Bedsteads at 40s, 455, 555, 60s. Double Wire-wove Mattresses 4ffc 6in, 17s 6d. Wire Stretchers, complete, 15s. The above goods are just recently imported from the manufacturers, and are splendid value. Inspection invited. V. J. WRIGLEY - - HA WEB A.