Alleged Theft from a Dwelling.

Northland Age, Volume IV, Issue 48, 20 July 1908, Page 5

Alleged Theft from a Dwelling.

Mr. W. McKay, the Mangonui tailor, has reported to Constable Drummond that at some time between eight and nine o’clock on Friday evening some thirty-six pounds were stolen from his house.

It appears that while Mr. and Mrs. McKay were playing cards in their parlour, about 8.30 p.m., they were disturbed by a rustling noise which caused the gentleman to throw open the door into the yard. He heard a noise as of a kerosene tin being brushed against and attributed the sound to the departure of a dog or some animal. But when Mrs. McKay, shortly afterwards, entered the bedroom to obtain some money it was found that an unlocked drawer had been pulled open and a bag containing cheques, notes and coin to the value of fully had been extracted. It is presumed that the thief or thieves entered the yard at the back of the house and going into the bedroom (the door of which had been left open to allow the paint on it to dry, it having been freshly painted that day) immediately seized the only valuable property and promptly decamped, probably being disturbed by Mr. McKay’s attention having been called to the slight noise made. At any rate there is evidence to prove that any theft must have been made by one fully acquainted with the ways of the household and with the whereabouts of the McKays’ money. Luckily Mr. McKay has been able to stop the stolen cheques, but nevertheless the loss will be a severe one and though there may be some hint of carelessness in thus allowing money to lie loosely about we have been so accustomed, in Mangonui, to freedom from theft that we have all, up till now, considered ourselves immune from such misadventure. We cannot possibly believe that anyone resident in the township would commit deliberate theft and can only hope that a few days may bring proof that the people of Mangonui may still trust their neighbours implicitly and that among our own community no suspicion need lie.