BURGLARY AT CAMBRIDGE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXI, Issue 9432, 12 February 1894, Page 6

BURGLARY AT CAMBRIDGE.

ACCUSED COMMITTED FOR TRIAL.

At the Resident Magistrate's Court, Cambridge, on Friday, before Captain Jackson, R.M., and J. S. Bond (Mayor), John Booth alias John Richard Considine alias Guilderstieve alias James Thompson, late of Auckland, was brought up on remand, charged wibh, that during the night of the 3rd February, 1894, he did feloniously break and enter the'shop of one Roger Williams Sargood, situate in Victoria-street, Cambridge,

and did feloniously steal therefrom a marble clock, two card stands, six napkin rings, one sugar and cream stand, one toast rack arid butter dish, one popper bottle, two glass pepper bottles, four silver nickel forks, twelve silver lady's Alberts, ben silver gen tip' Alberts, four gold brooches, eight pair of earrings, two odd earrings, one silver butter knife, one silver Bcarf ring, one brass scarf ring, one set shirt studs, eleven collar studs, and four silver-mounted pipes, 31 silver brooches, the whole being of the value of £59 15s. R. W. Sargent, jeweller, gave evidence as to goods missed, and also identified the goods recovered as his property. He recognised an earring handed bo him by Constable Brennan, and picked out its fellow from goods recovered. He recognised the earring from its peculiar make and mounting, and from the fact that it bad been a number of years in stock. ; Catherine M. Sargent deposed that she was in charge of her father's shop during his absence in Huntly. On the evening of the ?rd she locked up the premises according to usual custom, after depositing the most valuable articles in a vault, and went home. About five o'clock on Sunday morning she was apprised of the fact of the shop bavin? been entered, and on reaching the premises found one shutter down, and the window broken. She found goods strewn about, and missed numerous articles, which she enume rated. She recognised the goods exhibited as having been in the shop on Saturday, the 3rd.

William Moisley said that he lived opposite Mr. Sargent's shop. He saw the accused on 3rd February passing his shop at about nine o'clock. Soon after five a.m. on the morning of the 4th he saw a shutter of Mr. Sargent's shop down. He went across, the street and saw the window broken, several articles on the footpafch, a glass globe, some cards with one albert on, and other things, and the place appeared as having beun broken into.

Charles'P. E. Tennenb, chemist, carrying on business in' Victoria-street, Cambridge, next to Mr. Sargent's, deposed to finding various articles underneath his shop. j Arthur Bach, licensed publican, saw ac- 1 cused on' Saturday, the 3rd. He was in his house from about six to eight, and. with three others, went into a room behind the bar. The next raoi-ning witness missed two' chisels from a passage adjoining the said room. There was free access :to * the passage, the doors being open for ventilation. Witness examined Sargent's shop to see how it was broken into. He saw that the cutting had beon done by chisels. He bought chisels on 24th January last, and one of which was one inch and the other § or Jinch. (Chisels produced.) He was confident that one was his property, and he also believed that the other was. He saw accused about half-past eleven on Saturday ' night with three others. One of the four,; who was sober, stopped at his hotel that < night; two others, whom he refused beds [ to, went away with accused, who did not. ask for a bed. Did not see accused after Saturday night. Was sure accused was nob drunk. Constable Brennan deposed that on Sunday morning, the 4th, at about six m., he proceeded to Mr. Sargent's shop and found one of the shutters taken off the shop window, the glass of the window broken, and a lot of jewellery, cards, jowellery cases, a large glass globe, and other articles strewn about the footpath outside. Witness described how the shop had been entered. He found accused lying in a room in the old hotel at the bottom of Dukestreet. Asked him where he was during the night, and he replied he was where he then was. He told accused that Mr. Sargent's shop had beon broken into, and he was going to detain him pending inquiry. He replied, " You have got the wrong man." He took him over to the lock-up, and on searching him found an earring in his vest pocket. He then locked him up. This was about seven o'clock. Later on in the day he received a lot of property from Mr. Tennent, and among the articles received was a card (produced) with one earring on it, and ho found, on comparison, that the earring found on accused exactly corresponded with the one on the card. They returned and saw the accused, and asked him how ho accounted for having the earring in his pocket. Accused said that he picked it up in Auckland, in Hobson-streot, and he had carried it about in his pockeb ever since. Then told him that he would be charged with the offence, and gave him the necessary caution. Yesterday and last night, ie company with Constable Forbes, made a further search in the old building, and in the boiler of an old cooking range found the two chisels. He saw accused at various times during Saturday (3rd) about the town. The breaking into the shop was not done in what might be termed a professional manner. Accused was committed for trial.