SLENDER EVIDENCE.

NZ Truth, Issue 116, 7 September 1907, Page 6

SLENDER EVIDENCE.

Nearly Tripped by a Tray-piece.

The Crown relies on very insignificant matters sometimes to ring home a charge against a prisoner. A clirtv little threepenny bit was depended upon m the main by Crown Prosecutor Stringer at Christchurch on Tuesday week, when endeavoring to sheet home a charge of robbery, against Charles Holmes, an unattractive, pug-nosed fireman. It was a peculiar tray bit ; black on both sides, but one side was more nigger-looking than the other. The robbery is alleged to have taken place on the Maheno between Dunedin and Lyttelton, the ■= amount of boodle being eight soys and a few bob besides a watcli and chain. The person from whom the *tuff was abstracted was Charles William Ransley, forecabin steward on the boat, and he got the tray from Bennett, who is on the Manapouri. The man Holmes was "carried on"' m the boat from the South, and Ranslev had a talk to him. During the conversation. Ransley heard that the other had no money, but he had an order on the Union Co. Ransley went to

HIS VIRTUOUS COUCH at 11.30 p.m., lying down m his clothes, it being customary for him to do so on the coast. Next morning at 5.30" he woke, and found that he had been. robbed. I-ie hadn't been awakened during the night by any disturbance, and. he was astonished at this because he was a very light sleeper. He didn't feel well. and. believed that whoever went through him must have drugged him. He had charge of the liquor bar, but wasn't always there, having an- assistant. Ransley .says he only had a couple of drinks, but he was used to them. When Holmes was arrested at Lyttelton by 'Tec. Livingstone he had a few quid on him, and also a peculiar tray hit. Ransley identified the coinwould swear to it. Storekeeper Fitzgerald also swore positively to the diminutive bit of silver, and others were called to show that, according to his own allegations, Holmes had only a few bob on him on the trip un. The defence was that Holmes had beeii paid off his boat at Hobart, and had cash a couple of weeks before, and on the day of his arrest. How he came to have that awful tray didn't transpire, but anyone can have one of those odd things. Anyhow, the jury thought the price of small beer shouldn't spoil his career and let him go.