ST. BATHANS.

Otago Witness, Issue 1764, 12 September 1885, Page 13

ST. BATH ANS.

September 5. — On the night of the 27th ult. the shop of Mr Keenau, situated in the main street of St. Bathans,was entered by burglars, and a quantity of meat and some keys, stolen therefrom. Information being given to the police, Sergeant Livingstone in a very short time had two " suspects "in custody. These were Arthur Mills and Thomas Day, the former of whom was in the employ of Mr Keenau. Mills at first denied all knowledge of the a.ffair, but ultimately turned approver, and gave details of the whole affair to Sergeant Livingstone. They were brought up at the Police Court, St. Bathans, on the 31st, before Messrs Geo. Purton and W. M'Conoehie, J.P's. Mills pleaded guilty, and was sentenced to one month's hard labour in Naseby Gaol. Day pleaded not guilty, but in his cross-examination of the informer Mills he criminated himself, and he was convicted, and a similar sentence passed on him. It appears that Mills was the instigator of the burglary, and that hib main object was to rob the safe, which he unsuccessfully tried to open. Sergeant Livingstone deserves every praise for the manner in which he brought the offenders to justice, and also for" the way in which ho conducted the case against them. Both the prisoners are young men, Mills being about 22 and Day 20 years of age.