POLICE COURT NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LI, Issue 15639, 19 June 1914, Page 5

POLICE COURT NEWS.

THREE BURGLARY CHARGES.

ACCUSED PLEADS GUILTY,

Three Auckland burglaries, occurring within a few days of each other during Christmas time last year, were- confessed to by Albert Gordon Smith, alias John Ross, when he was charged in tho Police Court yesterday before Mr. E. C. Cutten, B.M.

The accused was charged with Laving, on. December 25, broken into and entered the premises of F. R. Bailey, in Khyber Pass Hoad, and stealing therefrom goods to tho value of £21 16s. There was. a similar charge against him in respect to the premises of Weymouth Roberts, Grafton Koad, from which cash, amounting to £6 lis 6d, and goods, valued at £4 10s, were stolen. The date of this offence was December 26, and three days later tho accused also broke into Frederick Maxwell's premises in Arolia Road, Epsom, retiring with about £8 worth of property. In each instance an entrance was effected in the ovening, during the temporary absence of the occupants. The accused was arrested in Christchurch last March on another charge. He was then found to be in possession of a quantity of jewellory and miscellaneous goods. Tho« jewellery, ho said, had been returned to him by a girl, whom he had left in Australia when he came across to New Zealand. Investigations, however, revealed the fact that the jewellery was in reality part of the proceeds of the three Auckland burglaries. Smith, who had ( nothing to say, pleaded guiltv to all throe charges, and was committed to the Supremo Court for sentence.

JUVENILE BURGLARS. A boy, 16 years of age, was chajrcfid at the Juvenile Court with having stolen various sums of money and a quantity of miscellanoouij goods, There were seven charges in all against him, tho value of the articles stolen varying from Is 6d to nearlv £30. In one of his escapades tho lad was associated with a younger boy. Tho elder had, it appeared, been convicted and released on probation a few weeks ago. It was supposed that he was working, bat, in reality, _ for the last month, he has been roaming about. Various sums of money had been stolon by him from different places, and, in two instances, he had forced an entrance into temporarily unoccupied houses in Reranera, after ringing the bell and ascertaining that no one was at home. On each charge tie youthful burglar was sentenced to a month's hard labour, and a recommendation will be made to have him sent to Burnham Industrial School. The case against the othor boy, who was charged with only one offence, was adjourned for a month, pending inquiries about him and his home life. AN UMBRELLA THIEF. Arthur Wilfred Cecil Mountford admitted having stolen two umbrellas from the public library. Mr. W. A. Block, for the accused, said that Mountford had fallen from a nigh position through drink. A friend was prepared to take him on a farm in a prohibition district, and counsel suggested that the accused might be ordered to come up for sentence when called upon. His Worship said that, in the public interest, and in view of tho accused's previous convictions, a sentence of two months' imprisonment, with hard labour, would have to be imposed. The accused mip-ht. after the expiration of his sentence, be given the chance to reform on the farm mentioned. ILLEGALLY ON PREMISES.Hearing the sound of singing proceeding from some enclosed premises at 2 a.m., a constable made investigations. He found that John Thomas Sheldon and William Adams had made themselves comfortable theie for the night. As both were under the influence of liquor, and had no business to bo there, they were arrested and charged with vagrancy. Sheldon, who had been in trouble before, was sentenced to seven days' hard labour, Adams beinu convicted and ordered to come up for sentence when called upon. EXPENSIVE CATTLE. ".To get on to the road, they musthavo swum out through a swamp," said Victor Price, when charged with having allowed 27 head of cattle to wander at large at Ellerslie, "I used to pay 10s at intervals to tho ranger to put my straying cattlo back into my paddock," he added, " but it was becoming too expensive." Having been previously convicted of tho same offence, Price was fined £2 and 28s costs, it was stated that straying cattlo in the vicinity caused much damage, eating hedges and trampling down gardens. INTEMPERANCE. Insobriety was the cause of one first offender being fined ss. Robert Henry Bateraan and Thomas Scott, two. second offenders, were each fined 10s. For his third offence Thomas Roberta was fined £1. Daniel Boyle, who committed an indecent act whilst under the influence of liquor, was fined £2, or seven days' imprisonment in default. John Hayes, convicted of being drunk for the fourth time within the last six months, and also of a breach of his prohibition order, was sentenced to seven days' hard labour. MISCELLANEOUS. Bicycling on 1 a footpath at Northcote resulted in William McGrath being fined ss, and 7s costs. For the same offence a boy was ordered to pay 7s costs. A remand 'for one week was granted in the following cases:— Maria Brown, charged with stealing two suits of clothes and a watch and chain; Timothy Ryan, alfeecd theft of a gold chain; and Herbert Stevens, alleged attempted illegal intimacy with a young girl.