BREAKING AND ENTERING.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19278, 16 September 1924, Page 2

BREAKING AND ENTERING.

OFFENCES AT SEACLIFF.

MAORI YOUTH PLEADS GUILTY,

John Selwyn Matthews was charged in the City Police Court yesterday with having broken and entered the Seacliff Railway Station on September 6 and stolen th© sum of £9 19s 6d, the property of the New Zealand Government, and one gold expanding wristlet watch, valued at £lO, the property of the Postmaster-general, the total value being £l9 19s 6d. He was further charged with on or about August 22 breaking and entering th© shop of Alexander Crow, of Seacliff, and stealing therefrom £5 in money and one electric torch valued at lls, the total value being £5 lls, and also with breaking and entering the same shop on September 1, and stealing one box of chocolates, two padlocks, one electric torch, two school bags, a number of stamps, and 3000 rounds of pea rifle ammunition, of a total value of £8 2e. Mr 11. W. Bundle, S.M., was on the bench. Mr Irwin, who appeared for the accused, stated that the latter had made a confession in connection with tho offences, and would plead guilty. Alexander Familton, manager for Alex. Crow, storekeeper, Seacliff. gave evidence that he locked up the premises at 5.30 p.m. on August 22. At 8 o’clock the next morning he discovered that the place had been broken into, and that £5 in money and one electric torch were missing. On Monday, September 1, he locked up the premises at 5.30 p.m.. and on the following morning found that the place had again been broken into, and various articles stolen. Some of the stolen articles were found in the feedhouse, near the stables. The goods produced were similar to those kept in stock. Wtn. Henry Jamieson, station master at Seacliff, stated that on entering the station at 7 a.m. on the 6th inst. ho found that the office had been broken into, entry having been effected by forcing open one erf the windows. The till had been forced open and the cash bag, containing £9 4a 5d and silver, in the till, amounting to 15s, Were missing. A registered package was missing from the post office till. It was addressed to Nurse Tobin, of the Mental Hospital. , , . Eric Royco Grmdley, clerk m the Hallway Department, stationed at Seacliff, stated that on the night of the sth inst. he was on night duty at the station, his hours being from 10 p.m. till 5 a.m. It was part of his duty to make up a statement of cash for the bank at Palmerston. On the night mentioned he made up the statement as usual, and placed it in the cash bag, which was put in the till. There was 15s more in the-till, which was locked. At 3 a.m. on September 6 he heard a noise outside the building, and made a thorough enxmination of the premises, but could find no one about. The station was securely locked when he left it about 4.50 a.m. on the 6th inst. George Jones, cadet in the railway service employed at Seacliff, stated that on leaving the office on the evening of the sth inst. ho left in the post office portion of the station a registered package addressed to Nurse Tobin. The package was missing at 8.15 a.m. next day. Constable Hayward, stationed at Waikouaiti, stated that on the 6th mst. he was advised that the Seacliff Ibulway Station had been broken into. He interviewed the accused before going to the station In consequence of what he earned at the station be communicated with the detective office in Dunedin, and iater m the day met Detective Beer at Soac iff. Detective Beer was accompanied by the accused. Witness accompanied the accused to the Puketerak! Railway Station, and recovered 6s 2d from under a mat in tho station there. He then, accompanied tho accused to his home and found 1500 rounds of pea-nfle ammunition, an electric torch battery, a tm of oysters, and stamps to the value of 7s 2d. The accused handed other articles and a £5 note over to witness at Waikouaiti, Sydney Armishaw. assistant in the employ of Dawsons (Ltd.), Dunedm, stated that Tie packed a gold wristlet expanding wateh for posting on the Ist inst. and addressed it to Nurse E. Tobin, Mental Hospital Seacliff It was posted by registered poet that dav’ The watch was valued at £lO. Detective Beer stated that on the 6th mst. he met the train arriving in Dunedin from Palmerston at 10.10 . a.m. The accused alighted from the tram and witness interviewed him regarding the robbery at the Seacliff station The accused admitted tho offence, stating that he got a jemmy from tho railway store, and forced a window in the station open. He then climbed through the window into the ®® ce ’ W l !® 6 * took tho accused to Seacliff by the 11.15 a.m. train that day. and proceeded to make a search for the cash bag and jemmy near the Puketeraki tunnel, but failed to find them The accused said he did not remember taking the wristlet watch. All tee money except 13s 4W was recovered. Later witness interviewed the accused with rPjteronce to the breaking into Crows store. Tho accused admitted the offence. The accused pleaded guilty, and was committed to the Supreme Court for sentence. Bail was allowed as before —accused m his own recognisance of £SO and one surety of £so—and he was ordered to report daily to the noiice at Waikouaiti.