PLUCKY YOUNG GIRL

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXX, Issue 21562, 5 August 1933, Page 3 (Supplement)

PLUCKY YOUNG GIRL

JEWEL THIEF CAUGHT FORCED TO DISGORGE GOODS Arrested through the pluck and presence of mind of a 17-year-old office girl, Leonard Austin, aged 38, described as a buyer, of East Ham, London, was lately sent to prison for 12 months by the Clerkenwell magistrate for three cases of stealing jewellery. Five other cases were taken into consideration. A detective stated that £I2G was involved in the other cases, the earliest of which was in March. On June 13, he added, Austin went to a jeweller's showroom and saw a girl assistant, Miss Ada Allnutt. He produced a card and said he represented a firm ' and wanted to place an order. Ho was shown articles of jewellery. The girl had to go to the telephone, and when she returned she found that some of the articles were missing. " The girl refused to leave the office and told Austin to put back what he had taken," the officer proceeded.." He took some of the jewellery out of his pocket, put it on the counter, and ran out into the street. The girl chased him, and he was arrested by a police constable. When he was taken back he produced further articles from his jacket pocket." The detective added that the method adopted in the other cases had been the same.

Defending counsel stated that Austin had been employed as a traveller and ownod a motor-car. He was willing to make restitution.

The detective pointed out that only the jewellery in the first charge had been recovered. Austin had given no information respecting the rest. " This is an amazing story," romarked the magistrate. " You haven't volunteered any help, and I don't quite know what it means, but I think it is about time you sat down to think."