POLICE COURT NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLII, Issue 13011, 31 October 1905, Page 7

POLICE COURT NEWS.

' s THE CHARGE AGAINST A FAMILY. ."'V.-'".', '■' . ■'■:-■ ' The hearing of the case in which Frederick Augustus Awdry, bis wife (Clara Jane ? Awdry), and his daughter (Constance Lela Awdry) w%*& charged with stealing a quan- ' tity of household goods, to the value of £3 ' • ss, the property of Peter Franchi, a Queenstreet restaurant-keeper, was resumed, before Mr. K. W. Dyer, S.M., at the Police Sr,' Court yesterday. |; r Chief-Detective Marsaolc prosecuted, and $:-.■ Messrs. J. R. Lundon aud K. A. Singer dep| ' fended. ;' Cross-examined by Mr. Lundon, the com- (_}. plainant stated that his wife had told him that she had lost her night gown, and had borrowed an old one from Mrs. Awdry. C : . Next day a search was made in Mrs. :"'['. Awdry's room (at the restaurant), but the night"gown could not be found. Witness' wife and Mrs. Awdry were always friendly, but they never went out together. It was not true that the Awdrya brought two or three dozen of towels into his house while. ; they were in his employ. ' The Awdrys .. sold him a number of knives, for which he paid 4s. Two of the knives produced were 'i'k smaller than those owned by him. He did s; not see the Awdrys leave his shop and place their luggage in a cart, but saw them take Several bundles away under their; arms two or three days before they left his employ. Cross-examined by Mr. Singer, witness said ho was paying a man named Thomas Barnes, who was a cripple, 5s per week. Re-examined by Chief-Detective Maxsack, witness said he was quite sure that the night gown and the sheet produced belonged to r him. The 'other articles were similar to those missed from his restaurant while the accused were in his employ. Alice Franchi, wife of the complainant, said she missed a night gown and several .articles, including a rug and some towels.. Cross-examined by Mr. Singer, witness said, in company with Miss Awdry, she searched Mrs. Awdry's room for the night gown, but did not find it. She had never sold any articles to Mrs. Awdry. It was not true that she sold the night gown to Mrs. Awdry for 6b 6d. She had never recaived any money from Mrs. Awdry. It was witness who first missed the night gown, ana not her husband. < Cross-examined by Mr. Lundon, witness stated that she had marked several of the , articles " Peter Franchi" and "P.F." At tins stage the case was adjourned until this • afternoon, when the further cross-ex-amination of the witness will be continued. YOUTH CHARGED WITH THEFT. A youth nameu Harry Gordon Crocker ? pleaded guilty to stealing several sums of money, amounting to 14s 6d, on various occasions, from his employer, James Gardiner, a Symonds-street baker. Sub-Inspector Black said Mir. Gardiner had missed money en several occasions, and suspected the accused. He marked a coin, and afterwards found the coin in the accused's possession. The complainant said the accused had ' been in his employ for five months, and had always conflicted himself in a proper man- . ner. He was quite willing to take the ac- , cused back into his employ. The accused was convicted and discharged, and ordered • to come up for-sentence when called upon. \ "" A SCHOOLBOY IN TROUBLE. A 14-year-old schoolboy pleaded guilty to stealing a quantity of meat, valued at 8s 6d, the property of William Kilgour, a Newmarket butcher. Sub-Inspector Black said the accused was seen leaving the premises of the complainant with a quantity 'of meat. The accused was suspected of stealing the meat, and on being asked where ■ he .obtained it, he said he purchased it from a butcher. He afterwards admitted that he had stolen the meat from Mr. Kilgour's • premises. The accused was convicted and discharged, and ordered to come up for sentence when called upon. ' I* . . MISCELLANEOUS- -* ; . Joseph Thomas, a Maori, was charged with.. stealing a. saddle, bridle', and breastplate, valued at £4, the property of George Ellis, of EUerslie. On the application of | Chief -Detective, Marsacfc, a remand was granted until Friday. Elizabeth Patterson was charged with stealing a gold watch chain and greenstone ~ heart brooch, valued at £4 3s, the property of : May Skellein. The theft is alleged to have occurred on the steamer Ngapuhi. Or the application of Mr. J. R. Lundon. who "' appeared for the accused, a remand was granted until Wednesday. Bail was allowed. ■ ■ ;.. -, ;/.". . Harry Eklund, 7 a Swede, who was remanded for medical treatment about a week ago for attempting to commit suicide by hanging himself, pleaded guilty, and was : V sentenced to three months' imprisonment, ; without hard labour.

Mary Ann Gibbs was charged with drunkenness (a third offence), ana further with being an idle and disorderly person. The accused pleaded guilty to the first charge, and not guilty to tho second. On the first charge she was fined 10s and costs, and on the second sentenced to six months' imprisonment. Mary Burtenshaw (prohibited) was fined SI, in default 14 days' imprisonment, for being in the Freeman's Bay Hotel. Her husband, William Burtenshaw, was charged l with accompanying her to the hotel, and was fined £2 and costs; in default, one month's imprisonment. Arthur John Riagland was charged with failing to maintain his three children, and pleaded guilty. He was orde. id to pay £1 per week for their maintenance. John Brockbank, a third offender, was fined £3, in default 14 days' imprisonment, for drunkenness, and for entering the Naval and Family Hotel while prohibited was fmed £5 in default one month's imprisonwent. ! , ..:-':

One first offender was fined 10» and costs, in default 24 houre' imprisonment, for drunkenness, and two others, who did not appear, were ordered to forfeit the amount of bail, £1.