BURGLAR AND GIRL.

Manawatu Times, Volume XLIII, Issue 1586, 11 June 1920, Page 2

BURGLAR AND GIRL.

A PAIR FROM WELLINGTON.

DEPREDATIONS AT NEWMARKET

A story of an elopement from Wellington under anything but promising circumstances was told before Mr J. E. Wilson, S.M., at Auckland on Wednesday, when a young man of 21 years, Arthur Symons, admitted having committed half a doxetn 'burglaries in the Newmarket district last month, and one of tike witnesses against him was a girl of sixteen, who had accompanied him in the trip to Auckland from Wellington. According to the evidence, "'Symons and the girl left Wellington together about seven weeks ; ago, and stopped off at Palmerston North for a week or so before coming onto Auckland. They put up as man and wife at an apartment house in Hobson Street, and Symons aid no work, but one day early last month he tossed a roll of sixteen £1 notes to the girl, and showed her a watch and a revolver. She pressed inquiries about where this came from, and he eventually stated that he had stolen them from Whittome, Stevenson's pickle factory office. About seven o'clock last Friday morning workmen who were early on the job surprised Symons in the o'ffice of the Taupo To- ' tara Timber Co. at Newmarket, and "though he tried to bluff them that he was one of the office staff, they re- • fused to believe him, and when he ' tried to bolt they caught him and called in Constable Hill. The constable searched him and came across a gold watch, two bangles and four gold rings that one of the office staff ' had put in the company's cash-box •' for safe keeping. In addition to that \ cheques, promissory notes and scrip to the value of about £250, which ' were subsequently identified as having come from the office of Whittome,

Stevenson. Turned over to Plain 1 Clothes Constable Knight, the prij soner made a confession that since ! coming- to Auckland he had done no work, but had lived by theft. Going out by night with a hammer in his : pocket, he used the tool to break the back windows or glass panel doors of business premises and so gain access to offices and ransack tills and cash- ' boxes. Eventually he tried two burglaries in one night by returning on Friday to Whittome, Stevenson's, ! where he got this time only a pair of gloves, a pair of silk stockings, and £250 in unnegotiable paper, and then going on to the Taupo Timber C'o.'s office, where he got some jewellery, and also got caught. He further admitted having done four burglaries of offices in Palmerston North. He stated that when caught he had spent all the cash he had stolen. After evidence had been given of the burglaries and the goods taken, and found on accused, had been identified, accused was committed to the Supreme Court for sentence at Palmerston North on four charges of burglary.