THIRTEEN, TOO

NZ Truth, Issue 1148, 1 December 1927, Page 9

THIRTEEN, TOO

Hip-pocket Raid — Men Charged

(From "N.Z. Truth's" Special Welling*

ton Rep.)

Paul Aurisch, elderly and honest, popped into the railway refreshment room for a ,ham sandwich. It cost him £13, which is rather expensive for a moderate taste m mere food.

UOWEVER, Aurisch would much rather have not indulged his fancy for the deUoacies of refreshment room service. The extraction of the unlucky thirteen notes was done via the hippocket by clever fingers during the f ravelling: public's rush on the cold tea and sandwich bar. Whose were those clever fingers? The law's suspicions Trill have to be tested m the Supreme Court. ;? A . "When the Feilding-Wellington train, bringing the crowd back from the iTelldlng races pulled into the Thorndon station about 8.30 one evening recently, George Wallace and Edward Xi&wson found themselves accosted and were duly charged as piokpocketß with relieving Paul Aurlaoh of the sum of £18 m notes, alleged to haye been taken from the old man's hip pocket Lawson was represented by Lawyer W. B. Leicester, but Wallaoe played a lone hand. Both the aooused pleaded not guilty. , •■■■•. Telling lila tale to the benoh, Aurtsoh Bald he had spent the day at the Feildtog races and was returning with about £16 odd m his pocket. i After he got Into the train at Felldlng ho oounted his money and plaoed It in' his. hip pocket. When tho train stopped at Paekakarikl ho alighted, for refreshments. \* Into the crowd lined along the oounter two or three deep, he was suddenly pushed from behind. He felt the pressure at both sides and at the rear. Someone was almpst on top of him and pushed him down. . He was not aware'of his loss until he was spoken to by a man near the door who asked him if he had lost anything. He then felt m his pooket, but alas, it ■was empty, except for a little silver. To l*awyer Leicester, Aurisch said acoused were not pointed out to him until they were on the Thorndon station. Counsel) Was thai money you wen at the raoes? ,1 Witness demurred about answering the question until counsel aaid: Come, Mr. Aurlßohj it is nothing to be ashamed of; it is something to be proud of. (Laughter). Witness: X won It. (Laughter). Xt was not until Walter Henry Tidy, the man who had spoken to Aurisoh on the. Paekakarikl station, grot into the iboac that any light -v«as thrown on the disappearance of the money. He said there were between two^and three hundred people m the refroshItnent room. He stayed near tho door 'while his friend went up to the counter •to get tea. All at once there was an unjustifiable hustle and bustle and he saw* one man ; place his left hand and, arm' on Aurisoh's shoulder bending 'him down lAnd with the right (hand dlvo under the old man's overooat. 'It m«* the'- aooused. Wallaoe, he alleged. He appeared to be picking the old man's Lipooket. v ' ■ t OBSERVATION ' He touohed the aooused Wallaoe en the •houlder and told him he was breaking the neaoe, whereat Srallaoe replledi ''All right, all ght," and walked further along down the oountws The man he eubaequontly know to be Deana (who was charged -with vagranay) wan "walking up and down with a £1 notft held up m his hand .pointing out poople. Deans was m the clear spaoe [beyond the orowd at the counter. - Lawyer Leicester objected to this 'statement ks Deans', actions could not be connected with accused. ChiefDeteotive Ward, however, said he could oonneot and the benoh allowed the to go m as evidence. ■ Witness, with a friend, located tooth aooused, m tho train and patched their movements until tho train arrived at k Thtfrndon. He also saw. them talking Deans before they left the train. ■k' In answer to counsel, witness adW mitted he had not seen Lawson and Wallaoe together m the refreshment room. # Detective- Sergeant Holmes was on the Thorndon' station with two oonst&bles when the train pulled up to the ' platform, and the aooused were imme; dlately arrested and searched In the railway office. Waliaoe wanted to know what ho was detained for, while Lawson remarked! "You had better be oareful. I'm a business man m town and I won't stand for this." *T told them they 'were accused of robbing a man at Paekakariki," said Deteotive Holmes. When they were eearohed, five singles and some silver was found on Lawson and £6/10/- m fiptea and ohange was taken from Wauaoe. Wallaoe said he was a resident of Wellington and that he was living with fata mother at tho top of Willis Street. He refused to give the number of the place as he said he didn't* want his mother disturbed. '■ Both acoused were taken to the detootive office where they refused to make a ' statement and olaimed that thoT did not know one another. The following morning he interviewad aooused again and when he showed "Wallaoe certain proof* fee admitted bis] name was Wfttspn and that he was recently arrived from Australia* He had Since ascertained that he was, sharing a room m WiUis Street with Deana. Lawson, continued Deteqttve-Ser-geant Holmes, was recognized by the chief detective and later admitted his name was Mason and that he also was recently arrived from Australia. To counsel, . witness did not suggest that .acoused were living together, but he did suggest that they were associates. He had every reason to believe that they came here together from Australia. . . " . Counsel submitted there were certain elements ,of suspicion surrounding the accused, Lawson, but hot sufficient to warrant him going forward to be tried by a jury. It was quite possible he was among the pushing and' Jostling In the refreshment room, but anyone . could make that a legitimate excuse. So far as talking m the train with Wallace was', concerned, It was quite likely that returning from the races he would strike up a conversation with someone. There was nothing suspicious with that. There was nothing to connect him yriVh the theft of the money from Aurisch, nor was there anything to show that the money taken from him was not his own. The magistrate, however, was of the opinion that accused Lawson was connected with the theft, intimating that the evidence showed ' he should commit both the accused for trial. Bail of £ 2QO and one surety of £100