CITY POLICE COURT

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18420, 5 December 1921, Page 9

CITY POLICE COURT

Saturday, December 3. (Before Mr H. Y. Widclowson, S.M.) Dismissed Without Comment. —Margaret Cuttle was charged with stealing, on December 1, £lO in money, the property of Francis Smith.—Mr Irwin, who appeared for her, entered a plea of not guilty.—Subinspector Willis said that on Thursday last the accused took to her house in North Dunedin the complainant, a young man •who came from the country. He gave her during the " evening a £lO note to buy something wanted for the house. When he wanted his change back she said she had given the money to a Mrs Smith. Mrs Smith, when seen afterwards, denied ever having had the money. The police were called in and after the woman s arrest the missing £lO was alleged to have been found in Mrs Cuttle’s house. — Francis Smith, sawmill hand, from Tahahopa, said ho came in to town last Thursday and put up at the Metropolitan Hotel." Ho had four single notes and a cheque for £ls, which he cashed for a £lO not© and five singles. He did not know accused, but he .met her about 7 o’clock in Madaggan street. She was in company with her sister, Mrs Richmond. Witness was very drunk, and accepted the woman’s invitation to go to their house in Swan street. They went in a taxi, for which he paid. ’At the house Mrs Cuttle looked for candles and said she could not find them. She asked for money to buy candles, and all the monev he had left at that tim© was the £lO note, which he gave her. She found a candle and lit it. but she did not go out of the house at all. He repeatedly asked for the note back, but she would not return < it. He refused tcS leave till ho got it. In the morning accused said that she had given the £lO note to a Mrs Smith, who called at the house about 10 o’clock ths previous evening. They went, round to "Mrs Smith’s house, and she denied ever having got the note. Mrs Smith suggested getting the police, and that was done. A detective was also sent for, and they searched Mrs Cuttle’s house, lint did not find the money. Accused was taken into custody. Later he received the; Blissing £lO note from Mrs Cuttle’s son, rvho said he had found it in the house. Accused was more or less drunk, and they drank two bottles of beer and a bottle of -whisky during the evening. Witness paid for the whisky. Accused and her sister bad the beer. Witness did not think he was as drunk at II o’clock as lie was when ho went to the house.—To Mr Irwin: When Mrs Smith came in she heard witness asking for the money. He thought he poured out the drink. The note was found after accused had been taken into custody. —Margaret Smith, living in King street, said she went to accused’s house on Thursday evening. She saw the last witness pouring out beer to give Mrs Cuttle. Witness said, “Don’t give Mrs Cuttle beer.”He kept saying to Mrs Cuttle, “Give me back my tenner.” She said she had not got his note. Mrs C uttle had a note of some - kind in her hand. The complainant was “pretty full.”—To Mr Irwin: She did not go to search Mrs Cuttle’s house.—Detective Beer said he had visited accused’s house with Constable Aitcbison. Accused admitted receiving a £lO not© from complainant to buy candles, and that she had not bought candles nor returned the note nor any change. She said"she had given it to Mrs Smith. The house was carefully searched, and he was satisfied that if the note had been there they would have found it.—Mr Irwin submitted that the case should be dismissed, but the magistrate did not take this view.—Accused giving evidence on her own behalf, admitted getting the £lO note. She went to sleep, and when complainant demanded the note she told him she had given it to Mrs Smith, and Mrs Smith would give it back. She knew she had given the note to Mrs Smith, and thought Mrs Smith would give it back.— To Sub-inspector Willis: She was considerably under the influence of liquor that evening.—Richard Jennings Cuttle, son of the accused, said he had been present at the dispute over the £lO note. He and his aunty and sister found the note on the kitchen floor behind the big armchair about 3 o’clock.—William Smith, husband of a previous witness, also gave evidence as to the search and finding of the note. —His Worship dismissed the case without comrrtent. Maintenance.—Percy Sylvester Knipe for whom Mr Brasch appeared, was charged on remand with failing to maintain his wife.—The case was adjourned till January 14 to give defendant an opportunity to secure work. JUVENILE COURT. (Before Mr H, Y. Widdowson, S.M.) A Series nf Thefts.—A boy, 15 years of ago, was charged with a series of thefts C'Tnmitted at Oaversham towards the end o'* last month. The charges were that on November 28 he stole a ladies’ costume, v'.-lued at £5, a pair of trousers, ..valued at £l,' a skirt, valued at ss, three” pairs of boy’s knickers, valued at £1 10s, two ladies’ raincoats, valued at £l, a military greatcoat, valued at £2 18s, and military trousers, valued at 10a, making a total value of £l2 fs, the property of Rebecca Prescott: that On November 29 he stole a lady’s silver watch, valued at £2, a suit of clothes, valued at £5, and 14s money in a moneybox, making a total value of £7 14s; the property of Alfred James Mathowaon; and "fiat on November 25, at Caversham, he •stole two pairs of men’s boots, valued at £l, the property of Christopher Vickers.— fiuh-inspector Willis prosecuted,—Mr Hanlon. appeared for the accused, who pleaded guilty, and elected to bp -dealt with sum-marily.—Sub-inspector Willis said that with reference to the first charge most of the property, valued at £l2 3s, had been sold to a secondhand dealer for £1 11s. The only articles still missing were the two raincoats. In Mr Mathewson’s case accused sold the clothing for 12s 6d. The watch was found on him. and £1 16s in money. In the third case ho sold the" boots to a secondhand dealer for 10s. The dealer had sold one of the pairs for lOs 6d. — Mr "Wid dnv/son: Is he is a friend of these people?— Sub-inspector Willis; No, sir, he is not known to them. He ■ gave a fictitious name, and he looks ove* 16. —Mr H-mWi explained that the boy’s father was a dairvman, and the boy had worked well in assisting him. Ho got • restless, and wanted other employment. When ho could ’ no* pot it, rafber than admit defeat, he sbrL and used the proceeds to make his father ♦ w-a carman. v-"*s'. The fn"t was now that the boy would be very glad to > Vcr-k to his father.—Mr Axelsen. said Mr Hanlon, thought something could be i-,. --.i t ),„ t p , n . bnhly do all right if he went hack to his work. Ho suggested that, he he allowed out on probation. The hoy was convicted and ordered to come up for sentence when called imnn at anv time within three years on 'condition that ho was of good behaviour and remained under the direction and control of Mr Akelsen. Restitution was ordered to be made to the parties from whom the gn-ds hnr] been stolen, hut no • order -vis,made with respect to the secondhand dealer*.