SINFUL SELLARS.

NZ Truth, Issue 94, 6 April 1907, Page 6

SINFUL SELLARS.

A Religious Thief.

Rosary beads are rum things to steal, but a Christchurchian named Francis Michael Sellars collared a couple of pair of these articles from the residence of Minnie Kearney, of Tuam street, entering said residence per medium of a side window. There was nobody m the house at the time, and it was miday. But a brother of Miss Kearney, a young man aged 26, who is rather weak m the head, saw Sellars go through the window, and he told a neighbor, Mrs. Emma Evans, who went to the spot and said m a loud tone " If there's anybody iuside I'll call the police." Whereupon Sellers came to the window and she asked him what he was doing there? He made the good old excuse of having got into the wrong house. She told him to get out of it, and Slimy Sellars got out through the window again. Then he cleared down Tuam street, where he was subsequently arrested by Sergeant Burrows. The only articles Sellars took were the rosary beads. The. accused's brother ;had been round to see Miss. Kearney about the case twice after bis arrest, but; she told him that the prosocution was being conducted by the police, not- by her. Mr. Day S.M. here interpolated that the brother had had a lot. of trouble over the ' accused, and Lawyer Malley said he had been a great deal out of pocket m connection with' hiin, and. that he was arranging' to send' him. away to the North Island when the present trouble happened. Sergeant Burrows said that when he stuck Sellars up the latter told him his name was Sullivan. When charged with tbe offence accused said, " That's all right, I made the music. I was taken to a

brothel by a cabman last night and was robbed of two quid, and I was. looking for the house to try and got it." When the rosary beads were found on bim at the police station Sellars said they were his — he had them when he last went to gaol. A religious thief ! Tec. Kennedy searched the records, however, and found the yarn to be pure flam. The beads belonged to Miss Kearney. Lawyer Malley wanted to know if the case couldn't be dealt with summarily, but the beak said that breaking and entering was too serious a charge, and Sergeant Norwood said they wouldn't have been too hard on the accused over suoh a small item of rosary beads had it not beon that there was a long list of previous convictions against Sellars. Malley alluded to the fact that Sinful Sellars was about to be sent away by his brother into the back country where he could get work and reform. When accused had drink aboard he behaved more like a maniac than anything else. He was taken to the brothel of a woman named Webster, and the cabman told him that he could call at the place next morning, and if there was nobody at home he could go inside. When he entered Miss Kearney's house by mistake he had no criminal intent, though he picked up rosary beads which were of no earthly use to Mm. The case was a trivial one and judges frequently animadverted upon such cases being sent for trial; it was a pity they couldn't be determined by a magistrate.

The bench said the case would have to go to a higher Court. So Sellars, who is a rare rascal with a frightful record for one so young — he doesn't seem to be able to keep out of gaol m fact — pleaded guilty, and was sent to the Supreme Court for sentence.