"MONEY FROM HOME"

NZ Truth, Issue 985, 11 October 1924, Page 6

"MONEY FROM HOME"

Treritham Thief's Tale

£247 FILCHED FROM PORT-

MANTEAU

"My wife was not well and I took this money to give her a holiday. 1 I regret very much having committed the offence. I have a child two months old and if given , a chance I will try to repay for the wrong I have 'done. I have a good wife and think I can go straight if given a -chance." This penitent statement made to the police may have eased the conscience of David William Fisher, who stole £247 from a portmanteau m. a hut at Trentham racecourse, but it would hardly hav^ compensated James Tracey, a sawmiliing- hand, and the OAvner of the money, for his. loss. , When fisher was brought before the Magistrate's Court m Wellington this week to answer the charge of having stolen the money, Tracey was called, and said he was working on- the Trentham racecourse and kept the njaney, m a portmanteau under his bunk m a hut also occupied by a number of other men. On January 16 la£t the portmanteau disappeared and was later found empty m a shed. His precious roll of £247, m fivers except , two singles, had gone, but was far from forgotten. The following day the accused who had been employed as a porter and rouseabout at the. place took his departure and was not 1 heard ,of again, until his arrest m Cfhristchurch on September 27. ' .; From. Fisher's statement, made to the detectives at Christchurch on September 27, he appears to be a remarkable young man. He stated that he came out to New Zealand about two years ago. 'In November of last year accused and his wife secured employment! at the Trentham boardinghouse as a married couple. Accused admitted taking the bag from one of the rooms, and said he opened it with a key obtained from another bag. The following day the couple left for Auckland, and 'then proceeded to Sydney. Three months were spent m Sydney, and when they returned to New Zealand there was no money left. Accused pleaded that, his wife was unwell and he had taken the money to give her a holiday. ' 'Fisher pleaded guilty and was committed to the Supreme Court for sentence.