BURGLARY RIFE

Northern Advocate, 11 June 1931, Page 4

BURGLARY RIFE

COUNTRY TOWNS VISITEO. (Special to “Northern Advocate.’’) PITTARURXJ, This Day. The post office at Tokoroa was burglariously entered on Monday night, the front door being forced with a jemmy. Nothing was stolen. West Bros.’ garage was entered by breaking the padlock of a door and £2 was taken. Sloper’s butchery was alSo entered, skeleton keys apparently being used to effect an entry, and the sum of 12s was taken. Three business places at Putaruru — Distributors Hardware, Ltd., the Station Cash Stores (grocers) and E. T. Smith (butcher) —were broken into on Tuesday night. The doors in each case were broken open, but the thieves obtained only 17s 9d for their efforts.

ONE CHARGE PROVED. ARSON RULED OUT. (Special to “Northern Advocate.”) HAMILTON, This Day. Archibald Westlake, who appeared before Sir Alexander Herdman in the Hamilton Supreme Court yesterday, denied charges of breaking and entering the dwelling occupied by Herbert and Ambrose Christian at Morrinsville, and stealing clothing and personal effects valued at £7 10/, the property of Herbert Christian, and of wilfully setting fire to Christian’s premises. Evidence was given by Herbert Christian, a, share milker, that on the evening of February 24, he returned to the house after milking. He found the back verandah alight. He put the fire out, and on examining his room found that a suit of clothes, a wri?tlet watch and a torch were missing. He later saw the goods in accused’s possession. A neighbour said he saw a man answ’cring accused’s description near Christian’s house before the robbery. Constable T. Keeps, of Morrinsville, said he arrested accused in the Motumaoho School shed on the evening of February 24. The stolen goods were found in his possession. The jjiry found accused guilty of I breaking and entering and theft, and not guilty of arson. His Honour deferred sentence until tomorrow’.