NOT THE SIMPLE LIFE.

Marlborough Express, Volume XLVI, Issue 120, 18 May 1912, Page 8

NOT THE SIMPLE LIFE.

, YOUNG MAN'S CAREER

FIANCEE LEFT WAITING AT

THE CHURCH

THEFTS FROM HOTELS

Keith Russell Jones, a well-dressed young fellow of 23, recently from Sydney, admitted to Mr Cutten, S.M., at the Auckland Police Court | the other morning that he had stolen j £7 10s from a room m one hotel and. a cheque, book and purse containing £1 from bedrooms in another hotel. The liistory given of the man by Chief Detective Marsack is unusual. He had arrived in Auckland about three months ago, and had been for a time employed canvassing for a ! photographer and later as steward on a small coastal boat. He had arranged to be married to a young lady on May Ist, but the bride waited for him at the \ church and he failed to attend. He stayed at1 a hotel for a , time, and while there (also on the May day when due to be otherwise engaged) he entered another boarder's room and stole £7 10s. He moved to a hotel in Newmarket and there took a room mate's cheque book and stole from a servant girl's room a purse containing £1. At one period of his Auckland experience |ie took a fan^ for motoring, ran up a bill of £o 10s with a taxi owner. He paid the bill with William Woodend's money. Captured at the Waverley Hotels accused, who appearedto have little sense of responsibility, explained that he committed the thefts because he was stranded and the taxi man was. pressing in his demands. He added that ho had r>riva+e reasons for not meeting his expected bride at the church, and s-ud he had given her notice in time to have prevented her goinc there. He was a traveller, but he hud been '.studying accountancy, and he had been drawn to New Zealand by o desire to see a young lady in the South Island. His Worship said 'he could hot holt) a voun«; .man who committed theft after tlioft in the way accused had done. Ffo would be sentenced to three months' hard labor.