THEFT CHARGE

Northern Advocate, 18 April 1932, Page 6

THEFT CHARGE

TRAVELLING SHOWMEN

COURT PROCEEDINGS.

LONG HEARING

The ease against the two travelling showmen, William Boyd, aged 42, and Basil Fleming, 34, against whom are preferred eight charges .of stealing goods and articles to a total value of £.‘!l 10s 3d, was heard in the Police Court to-dav.

The charges were taken separately, the first to be heard being that of stealing a quantity of cloth valued at £(i, the property of Alexander Fraser.

Both men elected for summary jurisdiction and pleaded not guilty.

Evidence was given by Alexander Fraser, a tailor, that on April 1, when he returned from lunch he' found two pieces of cloth missing from his shop. He identified the rolls of cloth which were produced in court as the ones which had been taken.

He had left Miss McDonald in charge of the shop. The two accused were not previously known to witness.

Cross-examined "by counsel, Mr. Fraser said the cloth was some distance from the door. Nobody could go into the shop without someone knowing.

Miss Annie McDonald said that on April 1, about 12.n0 p.m., two men went into the shop. asked witness to sew on a “ jigger’ ’ button, which she did in the workroom, taking the coat back in about five minutes. One man had gone when she went out and the other was standing in the same position she had left him. She identified one of the accused and pointed out the other as the second man who had been in the shop.

To counsel, witness said she could only definitely identify the accused, Fleming. She was not definite about the other.

A Cameron Street clothier, Robert V. Thompson, identified the two accused, who had gone into his shop on Ajiril .1. The accused, Boyd, entered the shop and asked to see one of the best shirts witness stocked. After looking at the shirts he asked the price of X<y.iamas, and asked witness to ' put some aside. Boyd then inquired about a hat, and bought two collars. The accused, Fleming, seemed to take an interest in the features and the lines.

After the two went out of the shop, witness watched them go into Eathbone Street. He then crossed Cameron Street and' saw Fleming go out of Euthbone Street and go towards the Whangarei Hotel, disappearing from witness' view at the hotel. • Then while witness was speaking to a friend he saw Fleming going back in the direction of Eathbone Street.

Answering counsel, witness said Fleming Jiad a coat over his arm. Ho did not see him carrying a parcel of any kind.

Miss McDonald was recalled by and said that after she had given the. coat back to the man she found a parcel of collars on the counter. She did not know what had become of them.

Constable Holt said Mr. Fraser had rung him up and he had found Fleming in the workshop of a garage. Witness asked accused if he had been into Fraser’s shop and he admitted that he had. He said ho had - gone into the shop with “Bill Boyd.”

Witness then told accused he would have to make a statement. They were going to the station and in’ Cameron Street accused asked if he were under arrest. On being told that he was not he refused to go any further. Witness then told accused he would have to make a statement and took him into the Whangarei Hotel, At first accused refused to make a statement; but later gave an explanation.

While witness was getting the statement the door opened and a man appeared. He immediately ' shut the door, but not before witness recognised him as Boyd. He was carrying something which looked like a bag. Soon after Boyd returned and the Senior-Sergeant and a solicitor also arrived.

Fleming refused to sign the explanation in which he said that while Boyd was getting the button sewn on, he had waited on the Corner of Bank and Cameron Streets. Five or six minutes later he was joined by Boyd and they had gone to lunch. He said he and Boyd Avere in partnership. When the Senior-Sergeant arrived both men Avere taken to the station. Boyd made a statement Avhieh ho would not sign. He saiil that he had gone to a tailor’s shop AA'ith Fleming. After lunch he returned to collect the parcel he had loft on the counter. Neither he nor Fleming were carrying a coat or a suitcase.

Witness then returned to the hotel with Boyd and the Senior-Sergeant to look at Boyd’s room. They found tAVo suitcases, Avhieh they searched. After Fleming had shoAvn his articles to Detective-Sergeant Robertson they Aveut up to the draAvingroom and found a suitcase behind a sofa. It AA'as locked and Boyd and Fleming said they did not have a key. The ease AA’as forced open and the suit lengths Avere found .in it.

In reply to counsel, witness said he had found two keys in Fleming’s lodging but they had not fitted the

suitcase. Boyd was also searched for keys but found none on him. Detective-Sergeant Robertson ’told of how be had interviewed Fleming at the Police Station. Accused had denied the theft, stating ho did not remain in the shop for more than a minute or two. He waited at the corner for Boyd. Witness said no cloth lengths were found amongst- Fleming’s property. When the cloth was r "V: found in the bag both accused said ' - they knew nothing about it. The licensee of the Whangarei ' Hotel, Mr. William , Shepherd, said Boyd was staying at the hotel. In the morning of April 1 witness looked into the drawing room. He found a man on the couch' reading a book. It. struck him as curious, because the couch was at the dark end of the . room, dust before the police found the suitcase "witness saw it behind tlie couch. The man lying on the couch was the accused Boyd. An employee of E. G. Hosking, Ltd., [ Mr. D. H. Smeal, identified the accused who went into' the shop on' March 30. Boyd wanted to see a hat, saying they had to replace one they had borrowed from another nian. Both men tried on hats and after about 20 minutes’Boyd said they had not been shown the one they wanted. No purchases were made. There were about four’ dozen hats on the floor. "Witness identified four hats produced as some he had been showing the accused. Replying to counsel, witness, said he saw the two men leave the shop. Neither of them had a parcel, but one - had a coat over his arm. sJ

Mr. G. M. Wilson, an assistant employed by Mr. W. Orr, draper, Cameron Street, returned from lunch on March 30 to find a young lady had shown some shirts to two men, one of whom was Fleming. He took over and showed them some hats. They made no purchases and left the shop. Two shirts (produced) were amongst those shown to Fleming and his friend. A roll of silk was • also identified by witness, who said it had not been sold. “I did not see them take anything,” said witness, answering counsel. “One of the men had a bag or an attache case,” witness said, in answer to the magistrate. Miss Brown, who is employed by Mr. W. Maine, identified shoes (produced) which she had been shown at the Police Station. The accused had gone into the shop and went into the men’s department. They asked witness to show them some shoes and then began to leave, but after a few words Boyd came back and tried on a pair of shoes, while Fleming, who had a coat over his. arm, stayed in the other department. The accused made no purchase whatever. Miss Irene Clarke, who is employed at the Bargain Stores, Ltd.,, said two men went into the shop on March 29. Fleming was one of them. They asked about some watches, stating they wanted a gross. Witness showed them practically all the- watehes she had. She had to leave them, but a girl went on practically as soon as she left.

(Proceeding.)