POLICE COURT NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LII, Issue 16035, 29 September 1915, Page 5

POLICE COURT NEWS.

' EXTENSIVE THEFTS.

TWO MEN PLEAD GUILTY.

The attention of Mr. F. V. Frazer, S.M., was occupied at the Police Court yesterday with hearing charges concerning theft from Messrs. T. and S. Morrin. Ltd. John Samuel Taylor and Samuel Taylor, his father, were charged with stealing hardware of a value of £100, and Ernest Ross Familton with stealing goods valued at £3 10s.

Mr. J. R. Lundon and Mr. Uren appeared for ' accused.

The evidence showed that John S. Taylor and Familton had been employed by T. and S. Morrin, Ltd., for some time past. On September 2 Samuel Taylor visited the premises of Peter Nicholl, a marine storekeeper at Mechanics' Bay, and offered to sell him some tools, which, he said, belonged to his son, who -had sent them to him. Nicholls would not purchase them till J. S. Taylor arrived, and, being assured they were obtained honestly, paid him £4 12s 6d. Constable McQuire went to the store later and took charge of the articles. He found that J. STaylor had given the wrong initials and address, but he subsequently found him at his employers'. The goods were identified as the property of the firm. He then arrested J. S. Taylor, who admitted he had stolen the articles. Information was received that Familton had been stealing goods, and he was also taken into custody. Witness then recovered guns, ammunition, - cutlery, carpenters' tools, etc., from Samuel Taylor's residence, and Taylor, sen., was also arrested. There were three boxes, two of which were locked, and Taylor, sen., stated that hedid not know what they contained. Other articles were obtained from the boardinghouse where Familton resided. Samuel Taylor appeared to have been stupid, and acted on what his son had told him. The latter had stated that his father was ignorant of the thefts. The magistrate dismissed the charge against Samuel Taylor. The other two accused pleaded guilty, and were committed to the Supreme" Court for sentence.

PROBATION GRANTED. Albert Edwin Ginn, a youth, who admitted stealing a quantity of clothing, valued at £1 10s, the property of William Jackson, appeared for sentence. The magistrate said that the Rev. F. Jeffreys, the probation officer, had a situation for accused, and recommended he should be placed on probation. He would, theretore, be admitted to probation for two years.

THEFT FROM A STEAMER.

Edward Lemuel Baggstrom and David Mitchell (Mr. A. Moody) were charged with stealing . two bottles of whisky and three bottles of wine, value £1 7s, from s.s. Kotiti on Sunday; also, with breaking a hasp on a door and a drawer in" the saloon of the vessel, value £1. Both pleaded guilty. « Sergeant Butledge said that Baggstrom was employed on the Manaia, and Mitchell on the Kotiti. On Sunday they purchased a bottle of whisky from one of these vessels, ami demolished, it. They then boarded the Kotiti, entered the saloon, and broke the hasp off a door -and a drawer, and stole the whisky and wine. They went back to the Manaia, and consumed the liquor. Mr. Moody said that the accused had been in the employ of the Northern Reamship Company for years. Both were of good character, and their conduct was entirely due to drink. The magistrate imposed a fine of £2 for committing the mischief. Each - accused would also be ordered tor nay half.the value of the liquor and hall the cost of repairing the hasp. - .£*.---<. .% -

MISCELLANEOUS CASES. James McShane was ordered to pay 7s costs for allowing a hone to wander. William Thompson (Mr. A. L. Denniston) was fined 10s and costs for spilling Mood on the roadway. The defendant it appeared, had allowed a cart, used for cartons skins from the abattoirs, to stand in Stanley Street, and the blood had fallen on to the roadway. , Five first offenders for drunkenness, who did not appear, were ordered to forfeit their bail amounting to 10s each. A sixth, who was drunk while in charge of a horse and cart, was fined a similar amount-. Charles Lundon. a second offender, was ordered to pay 10s medical expenses. ' John Murphy, charged with drunkenness and procuring liquor during the currency of a prohibition order, .and who- had been locked up since- Saturday,' was convicted and discharged. - r--:-. t ..--. A boy, 17 years of age, -was charged with stealing gftods value £1 5s 4d, the property of L. D. Nathan and Co. Another boy of the same age was also charged with receiving a razor, value 2s, knowing the same to have been dishonestly obtained. Both pleaded guilty, and after admonishing them the magistrate ordered* them to come up for sentence when called upon. " Jt&t*.