A CAREER OF GRIME.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXIV, Issue 7915, 6 April 1887, Page 3

A CAREER OF GRIME.

At the Police Court yesterday, Messrs. Duncan and Corbett, J.P.'s, Henry Atkins, alias Dalton, alias Mil ward, was brought up under no fewer than five separate charges, four of them being for larceny. The First Charge.— prisoner was first charged with having no lawful means of support. Sergeant Pratt said he had been. found in the house of Charles Worrall, at Three Kings, but as the police had no proof that he broke into the house they preferred to proceed against him in this manner. Mrs. Worrall, living at Three Kings, deposed that on the 28th March Bhe saw defendant in her bedroom. He ran away, but she gave chase, and caught him and held him till some neighbours came and secured him. He kept trying to get his hand in his pocket, and afterwards he threw away a purse (produced). It was picked up afterwards, and contained a number of pawn tickets. She had never seen the prisoner before. Sergeant Bernard Greene deposed to arrest- j ing prisoner, in Three Kings road, for being unlawfully in the house of last witness. He had a parcel with him containing a waistcoat. Prisoner said he was Hooking for 4 Captain Greenwood. Mrs. Worrall gave witness a purse, which prisoner had thrown away. It contained five pawn tickets. He had known prisoner for some time. He had been passing as a "remittance man." He had found letters in the prisoner's handwriting purporting to come from Mr. Murdoch, of the Bank of New Zealand, advising him of a draft for £120. He had shown it to Mr. Murdoch, who at once repudiated it. Another letter was from "a sister in London." He had duped many people with these letters, which were forgeries. Detective Tuohy deposed that he knew defendant to be a convicted thief. This was all the evidence. The Bench decided to hear the other cases before passing sentence. .

The Second Charge.— The prisoner was also charged with stealing a necklet and locket, of the value of £2, the property of Alexander Jack, on the 22nd February. Mary Ann Jack, Shelly Beach Road, wife of Alexander Jack, deposed that on the 22nd February last she was at home with two daughters and some friends, when her attention was drawn to a suspicious character going away from the bedroom window. She went to the door, and saw him go through the gate and walk quickly up the road. She identified the prisoner as the man. He afterwards came back, and admitted stealing a locket and chain, whioh he gave back to her. Witness had kept them in a box on the dressingtable in the bedroom. Detective Tuohy deposed to seeing prisoner on the 28 th March at the Oaehunga police-station, and charged him with stealing the locket and chain. He admitted the offence, but said he had returned them again. This was all the evidence. The depositions were read over to the prisoner.

The Third Charge.—The same prisoner was further charged with stealing two gold brooches, valued at £10 15s, the property of James Close. James Close, grocer, Queenstreet, living at Mount Eden, deposed that on the morning of the 11th March last there was a gold locket (produced) on his bedroom mantelpiece at seven a.m. He left for his place of business at eight a.m. There was also a gold brooch in its case in the chest of drawers in the same room. In the evening he missed both articles, and he next saw them on the 29tb, in the possession of Detective Tuohy. Walter Slaney; jeweller, Vic-toria-street, remembered seeing the prisoner in his shop on the 12th March. He was trying to dispose of a gold locket (produced and identified). He pressed witness to buy it, but he (witness) refused to do so. He then asked witness to lend him some money on it. This he agreed to do, and gave prisoner 10s on it. Detective Tuohy had come to his shop in company with prisoner, and had taken the brooch. William Maud, jeweller, Karangahape Road, deposed that prisoner came to him about the 12th March, offering to sell a gold brooch. He gave his name as Woodroffe, and said his wife was lying ill with consumption in Vermont-street. Witness gave him 10s for it, and afterwards handed it over to Detective Tuohy. Detective Tuohy deposed to arresting prisoner on the 29th March, on the charge of stealing these articles. He said, "If you take me out of here (police cell), I'll show you where they are." Witness accordingly went with him to Slaney's shop, and recovered the locket. Immediately afterwards he went to Maud's, where he got the brooch. This was all the evidence in this case, and the depositions were read over.

The Fourth Charge.—The prisoner was also charged with stealing a binocular, valued at £5, the property of James Stewart, Epsom. James Stewart, civil engineer, residing at Epsom, deposed 'to missing the binocular in January last. He had next seen it in the hands of Detective Tuohy. S. Asher, pawnbroker, Market Place, deposed that prisoner pawned the glasses and case at his shop on the 30th December last. He gave him £1 on them. A few days since he handed them over to Detective Tuohy. Detective Tuohy deposed to receiving the glasses and case from the last witness on Saturday evening last, This was all the evidence in this case, and the depositions were read over. The Fifth Charge. —The prisoner was also charged with stealing a watch valued at £2 10s, the property of George B. Lilly. George B. Lilly, editor of the Leader, living in Wynyard-street, deposed to missing a silver Geneva watch about the Sth March last. He next saw it on Monday iu the possession of Detective Tuohy. A. Asher deposed to having received the watch in pawn from prisoner for Bs. He afterwards handed it to Detective Tuohy. Detective Tuohy deposed to receiving the watoh from Asher. This was all the evidence, and the depositions were then read over. Prisoner had nothing to say, and he was fully committed to take his trial at the' next sessions of the Supreme Court for the four indictable offences. For the first offence, of having no visible lawful means of support, he was sentenced to three months' hard labour. - >