MISSING WATCHES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 19608, 9 April 1927, Page 10

MISSING WATCHES.

SHIP'S CARGO BROACH EP.

• '." SOME FOUND IN STOKEHOLD.

OVER ONE HUNDRED UNTRACED.

A case of watches was broached, Soring the voyage of the Shaw, Savill and Albion steamer Raranga from London, and in response to a wireless message Detective McHugh and Sergeant Dunford, of the wharf police, boarded the vessel when she reached Auckland at mid-day yesterday. The theft had been discovered by the ship's officers, who afterwards found a number of the watches concealed near, the stokehold.

The police made an exhaustive search in every part of the' vessel, but were unsuccessful in finding any more of the stolen cargo, although there are still over 100 watches missing. No arrests were made yesterday in connection, with the theft.

This is the second time within three weeks that the wharf police have been requested to board vessels arriving at Auckland and searcl# for stolen cargo. The previous occasion was on the steamer Middlesex, and in connection with the theftf a number of the crew were sent to gaol.

SERIOUS TYPE OF OFFENCE. COMMENT BY CHIEF JUSTICE. [BY TELEGRAPH. —OWN CORRESPONDENT. I WELLINGTON. Friday. John Murphy, a fireman, aged 26, was sentenced in the Supreme Court to-day to one year's imprisonment for theft. "The crime to which you have pleaded guilty is a very serious one," said the Chief Justice. "You and another man in concert entered the hold of a steamer, broke open a case and stole ten fur coats to the value of £l7O. The trouble about this class of offence is that it is easily committed in concert. Very rarely is it, dene by one man—there are always more than one concerned in the commission of tire crime. It is dangerous to the ship in which the offence is committed. The crime is difficult to detect and I am told 4 by the police that it goes on every time a ship arrives in New Zealand wafers. " It is very hard to know how to deal with you. 1 am not quite sure that I am not dealing too leniently with you, but I accept what you say, and the police say that you are a good worker. I teh you honestly that I have debated in my mind whether I should not give you a longer period of sentence than I propose to do."