Stole Roll of Notes From Safe

Manawatu Times, Volume 61, Issue 291, 9 December 1936, Page 9

Stole Roll of Notes From Safe

HOTEL PORTER COMMITTED TOR SENTENCE

The disappearance of a bundle of notes, estimated to total £l7O, from the safe of the Imperial Hotel, Palmerston North, two months ago, was explained in the Magistrate’s Court yesterday, before Messrs. D. J. Lovelock and W. G. Ashworth, J.P.’s, when Malcolm Victor Smith, aged 28, pleaded guilty to the theft, as a servant, of £l7O, the proper*' ty of Edward Houlihan. A charge of the theft of £250 was withdrawn. De-tective-Sergeant Bickerdike conducted the case for the police. Evidence was given by Miss R. J. Bolland, a niece of the licenseo of the Imperial Hotel (Mr Houlihan), that she was employed in the office there and had charge. of the money, which was kept in the safe. On October 7 there was a bundle of £5 notes in the safe. She had not counted the money for some days, and could not say exactly what amount was there, but it was not less than £175. That evening witness went to a dance, leaving the hotel immediately after dinner. Shortly after 13 p.m., with Mr and Mrs Houlihan, she went upstairs, leaving no one in the office, where there was a ring of keys, including the safe key. These were later taken out by Mr Houlihan. Accused was employed as a porter in the hotel, having been there since May 20 last. On the evening of October 7 he was in the hallway near the office when witness and Mr and Mrs Houlihan left. Next day witness opened the safe and discovered that the bundle of notes had disappeared. She notified the licensee. Accused had no authority to touch the safe.

Detective Power gave evidence that he had interviewed accused, who had made a statement, which ho said was true, but preferred not to sign it in the meantime, because ho had not taken as much money as was alleged. Accused, in this statement, said that for three months he had been employed in the hotel as a porter. Ho had been suspected of selling beer and not accounting for the money. On October 7ho was selling in the private bar when he needed change and went to tho office for it, according to the usual custom. There was no one there and, seeing the keys on the table, he decided to get the change himself. He opened the safe, saw a bundle of £5 notes and, on the spur of the moment, took it. Ho locked tho safe, pocketing the money, which ho did not count. Tho same . ■ evening he told the licensee ho was leaving, making the excuse it was due to suggestions about the sale of beer. lie had been married about eight months, and decided to take his wife for a holiday. They left by air for Blenheim and stayed at an hotel in Havelock. He retained £lO in change and gave the other money to the licensee to place in the safe. Counted out, it was £l5O. They then spent a holiday in the South, returning to Palmerston North by ’plane on November 7. There was then practically no money left, lie did not think there was more than £l7O in the bundle of notes ho took from the hotel. He had not spent any of it in gambling or at tho races. He had informed his wife that it was money he had won gambling and had saved. When he went to tho hotel safe he did not know the money -was there, and had had no previous intention of stealing it. Accused pleaded guilty and was committed to the next session of the Supreme Court at Wellington for sentence. Bail was not sought.