WHOLESALE THEFTS

New Zealand Times, Volume XLI, Issue 9417, 2 August 1916, Page 8

WHOLESALE THEFTS

CHARGES OF RECEIVING

MORRIS AND HELLAWELL COMMUTED FOB TRIAL.

At the Magistrate's Court yesterday before Mr D. 0. A. Cooper, S.M., further evidence was taken in connection with the series of thefts from the premises of -ll Costs Shaiiand and Co. The prosecution was conducted by Chief Detective Boddam, and the first case taken was that of Jolm Thomas Morris, grocer, of Cambridge terrace, who was charged with receiving stolen goods, the property of Sharland and Co., including patent medicines and other goods, to the value of ,£167 16 s 6d. The accused was represented by Hr H. F. O’Leary. Walter Fair Larkin, manager of Sharland and Co., stated that there had been a discrepancy found in the stock on the stock-sheets and the stock ledgers at the time of stock-taking. The shortage in the lines in court amounted to about .£350, of which £l5O worth had been recovered. The accused was not a customer of his firm. James Henry Bray, who was arrestee in July, charged with the theft ot similar goods to the value of £lO7 16p 6d, to which he had since pleaded guilty, stated that he was a storeman m the employ of Sharland and Co. at the tune of his arrest. He became acquainted with Morris in November last, and the latter said he would take aU that witness brought to him. In December he stole about 24 dozen boxes of pills and sold them for 10s a dozen to the accused. In the following months he stole different lots of patent medicines, which he sold to the accused. In the month of February this year be instructed a carrier to take about three or four cases of patent medicines to Morris. He did nol inform the carrier the goods were stolen. In the evening of that day ho went to the accused to collect the money, amounting to £3 10s. Towards the latter end of February he again instructed a carrier to take several further cases of patent modi dues to the accusea, who paid him -about £4. A, week later he personally took some patent medicines to Morris, and again in March. Towards the middle of March he sent a further four or five cases of patent medicines by carriers to tb© ■accused* who paid him personally about At a later date he received 30s in payment of certain medicines delivered to the accused by himself* Witness pave several other instances in which goods had been sent to the accused at witness’s instructions, and varying sums of money had been paid to him by Morris. He identified some of the goods in court as being similar to those stolen by himself from Sharland and Co. Since his arrest ha had been spoken to once by Morns, wno said "There is some trouble over the goods. You’d better watch yourself. William John Barker, carter, gd-ve evidence that he knew Bray to be a storeman in the employ of Sharland and Co., and that he had several times taken cases to Morris's shoo in Cambridge terrace. Last month he had occasion to go to the accused’s shop for matches. The accused took him into a back room and told him, if he was asked any questions, to say that he had not taken anything te the shop. Morris let him out by the back entrance, where be bad to climb a fence to get out. . , _ Tnhn Evidence was also given by Jotm Sprowle as to taking certain cases from Sharland and Co. s premises to the ac..need’s shop. He delivered them into a tack room? but had no idea the goods W Thomas Henry Watson,- expressman, gave similar evidence. William Henry Townsend, salesman, in the employ of Johnston and Co., or Featherston street, gave fo rmal evid9nco of bavins: mad© a careful search of bi firm’s records, but could not discover any record of any sale of sand soap to Detective Mason stated that he called at the shop of the abused, Morris in Cambridge terrace, on July sth, and on questioning .him in r f£ a f d , to . goods. Morns stated that ho .had not received any patent medicines from any person under wholesale prices. .He arrested the accused on July 10th, and charged him with receiving goods stolen by a man named Bray from the premises of Sharland and Co. TP hen told that his premises must he searched, ne replied that certain parcels had been taken to his shop, but that they were addressed to Bray, and he would call for them. On making a rough. > search of the premises he found no pills and only a few bottles of patent medicines. He found 47 cakes of sand soap which accused said he had purchased at an auction sals, but when the sale was held he could not say. Accused said ho had got another 56 cakes of sand soap, which were found in the shop, from Johnston and Co.. Featherston street. This concluded the evidence, and the accused was committed to the Supreme Court for trial. Bail was allowed in a sum of £IOO, and a surety of a like amount. HBLIiA WELL'S CASE.

Edwin Hellawell, of Courtenay place, was charged with receiving stolen goods to the value of .£143 7s 6d, the property of Sharland and- CoWilliam Slater Sanderson, manager for New Zealand for Dr Williams Medicine Company, of Australasia, Ltd., stated that the’ business was conducted on wholesale lines only* Each box or pills was marked with certain letters and figures. No two firms could have the same numbers on their boxes. SharXand and Co. were supplied with several orders, and only this firm received those boxes of pills which bore the marks indicated ion the orders, which appeared on the pills produced. Evidence was given by Edwin Fair Larkin, manager of Sharland and Co. James Henry Bray gave evidence < or having stolen certain goods, includiag patent medicines, to the value of JEI67 approximately’, from the stores of Shar* land and Co. Tne majority of the goods stolen were sold to Morris. He did not know if anyone else was supplied. Joseph Kenney, local manager foi Fairbairn, Wright and Co., stated that the accused Hellawell was a customer of his firm, and his purchases included patent medicines and pills. During the past six months his purchases had shown a decrease. ■ Detective Mason stated that he had arrested a man named James Oonnor in connection with these thefts. In company with Mr Larkin he had examined the patent medicines and pills in the exhibits, and they were identical with the tost supplied by Mr Larkin. In June last he obtained certain boxes of pills ■from Levin and Company, and they also were identical with the list supplied by Mr Larkin. On June 22nd he interviewed Hellawell and asked him where he got the pills which he supplied to Levin and Co. Ha obtained an explanation, from Hellawell, who stated that he had never supplied goods to Connor, and had never had business transactions with him. The lines of pills which he supplied to Levin and Co., about £3O worth, he obtained from a traveller, but he did not know what firm he travelled for.. He had had the pills in question in store for seven months. He got a gross from him, and they were supplied in parcels. Ho paid for them in cash, but he did not know the man's name, or where he could be found. The man had called several times. The man Connor was not in the habit of storing goods at his shop. He might have cashed a cheque for him, but he did not remember. He declined to sign the statement giving the foregoing particulars. On July 11th witness arrested the accused on a charge dr receiving goods to the value of £l2O. This concluded the evidence, and the accused was committed to the Supreme Court for trial. The accused, who pleaded not guilty and reserved his defence, was represented by Mr T. M. WUford,