TONS OF GOODS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 23036, 13 May 1938, Page 10

TONS OF GOODS

WHOLESALE THIEVING , COMMON RECEIVER / • / ■ t y : 'if . "J LONG-TERM EMPLOYEES SEVEN MEN ADMIT CRIMES [BY TELEGRAPH —PItESS ASSOCIATION] CHRISTCHURCH, Thursday ''These cases disclose system of wholesale thieving and receiving in the city over a period of three years," said Detective-Sergeant T. E. Holmes, in the Magistrate's Court, when nine men and one woman appeared on theft and receiving charges. A search of premises in the city had revealed'■■ stolen property valued."at £1164, added Mr. Holmes, and this had been identified by six large city firms by which most of the men charged were employed. : "The assortment of property,, including half a ton of drapery and some bulky hardware- and ironmongery, is , undoubtedly' the largest, this Cou%has seen for some time," said the detectivesergeant. "Altogether : there is more than three tons of goods, and it i? clear that the courtroom could not hold it all at one time. The men all worked m one centre and the goods went to a common receiver. The employees had had up to 24 years' service with their, firms. Pleas o! Guilty Entered Six of the men charged with theft, due of whom faced ;a receiving., charge in addition, entered pleas of : guilty and were committed to the Supreme -Court for sentence. The man against .whom eight "charges of ferred also pleaded guilty and was committed : for sentence. One man WaS remanded until Monday, and the case against the woman was adjourned until next Thursday. . : U : r£\ T , . The men accused of theit, Searle, Herbert Arthur Currie, . Tom Hazard, Harold Thomas .Stringer, Rawei Arthur Wilkinson, bert Stackhouse and Herbert Francis Hempenstall, gave evidence of the handling of the goods when ceiving charges against Hugh Lowther. were heard. • = Bail ol £3OOO Fixed Detective Cunningham, who, arrested Lowther, and Detectives /Watt and Burns read statements relating to the charges, in which Lowther said he had bought the goods from the other men, knowing most of them to have stolen.'Xiowther also accepted full re-, sponsibility for goods recovered from premises other than his own, saying that they had been put there at his instructions. , , ~ . Lowther was granted bail m his own recognisance of £IOOO and two sureties of £IOOO each.. For Searle bad was i ixed at £2OO and one surety of £2UU. in each of the other cases the were granted renewal „°^ aU A ? l f and one surety of £IOO. All were ordered to report daily to the police.