THEFT OF SILVER

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21986, 22 June 1933, Page 8

THEFT OF SILVER

ACCUSED’S REMARKABLE STORY COMMITTED FOR SENTENCE (Per United Press Association.) WANGANUI, June. 21. John Ralph Penney was charged in the court to-day with the theft of silver valued at £Bl3, the property of William Toomey, of Auckland. Toomey gave evidence of engaging Penney to drive him with the silver from Auckland to Wellington on the evening of June 3. Near Te Kuiti Penney stopped the car and entered some bush on the roadside, and was away 20 minutes. During the interval witness noticed the lights of another ear pulled up in the rear. When he looked again the car was not there. At daylight the next morning, on the way to New Plymouth, a “ Blue Bird” taxi car passed 'him., Witness gave evidence as to how the car was taken while Penney and he were having tea at die Royal Willows, Wanganui. On their return ’to Auckland, Penney remarked to witness that he thought he would be able to get the silver returned to him. William Tew, motor mechanic, of Auckland, stated that Penney asked him to accompany him to Wanganui to see a man on urgent business. On the run through Penney said he was not going to see a man but to look for stolen silver. He suggested that if it were found they could put it in the upholstery of the car. He detailed how Penney searched on the roadside near Pukiremu road without success. They then went nearer to Wanganui and turned with the intention of proceeding to Auckland. On the way they were overtaken by Detective Murray. Detective Walsh stated that while the police were searching for the silver Penney and Tew came on the scene, and the former was arrested.

Penney, in a statement to the police, said it was not the first time he had driven Toomey. to Wellington with silver, and this fact was known to others. A man named Hyman had approached the accused several weeks before this matter had developed and had told Penney that he was a fool not to “get down on the silver.” He (Hyman) could “ fix it that the owners of the silver would not do anything because they were liable to imprisonment for two years.” Hyman had kept pestering the accused and had suggested that the accused give him the keys of the car and that if the accused could leave'the silver in his car he would steal it. That was about six weeks ago, and the accused knew that Hyman wanted the keys to have duplicates made so that he could get into the car when there was silver in it. The accused had not given him the keys, but about three weeks ago a man named Glover, also of Auckland, and a friend of Hyman’s, had been permitted by the accused to borrow the car. When the keys were handed back to the accused he noticed that one was a strange one. A day or two later Hyman met the accused and said he knew Toomey and a man named Washington were getting a swag of silver together to take to Wellington. “ Hyman seemed to be well aware of everything that was doing about the silver,” said the accused in his statement, which went on to describe his trip from Auckland which had given rise to the present proceedings. He told of a “ Blue Bird ” taxi which passed them and he recognised two men in it as Hyman and Glover. The accused did not tell Toomey to stop. When the accused’s car was taken at Wanganui he had a failidea that Hyman and Glover had turned up. Wh_en_ the car was found with the silver missing he recognised the key in the switch as the original one he had possessed. The accused’s statement then told of negotiations in Auckland with Mr Singer (solicitor) _ and Hyman, and also an interview with Glover, who was in hospital. Glover told him where to find the silver near Wanganui, but the accused’s search was without result.

Detectives Walsh and Murray guru; evidence of an intensive police search which was kept np tor 13 days, most of H being near the 13-mile peg north from Wanganui. The silver was discovered by Detective Walsh 11 miles from Wanganui. The accused was committed to the Supreme Court at Wellington for sentence.