SELF-CONVICTED.

NZ Truth, Issue 222, 25 September 1909, Page 6

SELF-CONVICTED.

The Writing Did the Trick.

Seconti-handdealers don't give too much coin for any article brought to them for sale, a speaking example be;ng that of Mrs Knight, of Christchurch, who reluctantly parted with 2s for a metal watch valued at 15s, and owned hy' a laborer named Alfred Wilson. Of course, they take a lot of risks, the secondhand emporium being, the first inspected by the police for pinched property, arid m the present instance, Mrs Knight will have to whistle for heir twb bob, or employ a small boy to do it for her. Wilson left the watch on the dressing-tabb m his Manchester-street boarding-house when he went to work on Saturday. The ticker was afterwards discovered m Mrs Knight's, and although William Charles Powis loudly declared his innocence, he was identified by the shop-keeper as the person who had sold the time-piece. Powis also stopped at the Manchesterstreet boarding-house, and was very hard up, which- didn't tell m his favor. His efforts, to get toil were unsuccessful, and HE » WAS IN DESPERATE STRAITS when the watch disappeared, all of which was against him. It is "difficult to say how .many watches would remain m the possession of their rightful owners if there was an abundance of work for everybody. But it was tbe handwriting of Powis that gave him away. He signed the name "C. Montgomery" m the old curiosity shop book, with a Sydenham address, and. when 'Tec. Livingstone spoke to him kindly and firmly oh the subject, he agreed to write down the name of "C. Montgomery" .for comparison purposes. As Magistrate Haselden remarked, lat3r, PqwTs started to disguise his writing, and tlien into his natural caligraphy. Other samples of writing were also taken, and William Charles now., regrets that his education was so well attended to. He denied all knowledge of the theft, and, m reply to the police, said he came from South Africa, arriving m Auckland twelve months ago. The' local bobbies knew nothing against his character, and he was sent over the hill : for fourteen days to reflect upon thc strange vicissitudes of a strange country. _,