EXTENSIVE THEFTS OF JEWELLERY.

Otago Witness, Issue 2649, 21 December 1904, Page 10

EXTENSIVE THEFTS OF JEWELLERY.

At the City Police Court, ' before Mr C. C. Graham, S.M., on the 13th inst., Charles Henry Cox was charged with, on or about November 28, stealing from the dwelling of Thomas G-. Laurenson a gold watch and articles of jewellery, and about 30s in money (total value £21 10s). Accused, a young man, was not represented by counsel, and at his request all witnesses were ordered out of court. — Chief Detective Herbert said the facts were briefly that accused arrived in Dunedin on November 22 with a woman named Morris, who would be called as a witness. On November 28 Mr Laurenson' s hotel was entered during the evening, and. tbe property described in the information stolen. On November 29 accused handed to a man named Anderson a quantity of jewellery to be smelted into blocks of gold. Anderson got the gold smelted and handed it back to accused, who took it to various places and offered it for sale. Accused was eventually arrested by Detectives Hill and Connolly. — Sarah Laurenson, wife of Thomas Laurenson, and residing at the Royal Albert Hotel, George street, deposed that, between 5 and 6 p.m. on November 28 she left a gold watch and chain and some jewellery (three brooches and two bracelets) and. trinkets in a drawer in her bedroom, and she left 30a in money also in the same room. The door of the room was not locked. Witnesß missed the money next morning, but the jewellery not till bhe Friday morning. The police were informed of the matter. Witness identified articles produced as her property. Witness had not to her knowledge previously seen accused. The articles produced she could not swear to as hers,. .as they were not marked; but they very closely resembled her property. — Thomas G. Laurenson gaye evidence that between 6 and 7 p.m. on November 28 he saw accused standing at the foot of the stairs of the hotel of which he was licensee. He identified certain articles produced as the property of himself and his wife. He ■ had not .seen accused previously, and , he, was. not "a boarder "in the hotel.— - Albert Anderson, watchmaker, residing in King street, deposed' that He knew accused as Bob Thornton. On the afternoon of November 28 accused told him he had some gold lie wanted melted down, ani witness told, him he could ?et it melted down for' him. Accused met witnessjn-ext morning, and lianded Trim a -parcel, saying ; rhe gold was in it, and .witness took the parcel /up to the works-hop at Stewart Dawson'a, where he had bsen sometimes employed. The parcel, being opened, contained articles of jewellery which witness described. Witness sorted out the articles according to the quality ci gold, and took them down to a jeweller named Mamtell, and waited while he melted them down for Liin. Witness identified the lour pieces of gold produced as those melted for him by Mantell. Witness weighed the gold at Man-fell's after melting, and there was 6oz of 9c gold (in two pieces), just on 2oz of 180 gold, and loz of 15c gold. Witness sold one pice of 9c gold to Mr Mills a jeweller, for £1 16s, and, meeting accused later on, gave him the money and the other three pieces of gold. On the Friday following accused asked witness if he could sell another piece of gold, axicl witness sold the 18c piece to Mr Waby, jeweller, for £5 receiving a cheque., which he cashed, and banded the money, in single notes, to accused. Accused had previously told witness he bad tried to sell the gold to one or two of the banks, but they wanted it left 24 hours. All the things now produced were in the parcel handed him by accused, and he could swear to three of tbe bars ot gold produced as' being product of the melting of the parcel's contents. Acousod at no time told witness where he got this jewellery. When accused gave witness this parcel a man named Gray, who was with accused, . handed him another parcel which contained a 9c Geneva watch and some trifling articles? Accuse'! gave witness 5s -for getting the things melted, which witness gave the jeweller who did the melting. Witness was to get a percentage after all the jewellery was disposed of, but he never gofe it. Witness met Gray by prearrangement on the 29th as well as accused. — James King, apprentice at Stewart Dawson's. gave evidence that on November 29 last tho witness Albert Anderson was in the workroom with a parcel of jewellery which be was breaking up, and the articles produced were all among those then being broken up. Witness had handed some of them to the police. — Louis W. Mantell, working jeweller, deposed that, at Anderson's request, he melted three different lots of gold which Anderson brought iiito his workshop, and which had originally been articles of jewellery, and was paid 5s for so doing. — Edward Stuart Mills, working jeweller, deposed "that he bought a piece of gold from Anderson for £2, and identified the piece produced as the same.— -Frederick Wedlake, pawnbroker, said that on November 29 tho piece of gold waa brought into his office by accused, who asked if lie would; oare to buy a piece of 15c gold. Witness did not buy the gold, but referred accused to a jeweller. — Edgar Bush deposed that on November 30 accused was in the shop of his employer, Mr Sounne&3, trying to sell a large piece of 9c gold similar to the piece produced. — William Edward- MA dam, gold buyer at the Bank of New Zealand, said he recognised accused! as a young man who came to the bank near the beginning of the month and tendered three pieces of gold for sale. He was told the gold would have to be assayed, -which would take some little time, and said he could not wait. Aocused gave tie name of Thornton. — Thomas Taylor, clerk in the Bank of Australasia-, stated that on. November 2 or the previous day accused came into the gold office at the bank, and said he had some gold for sale. He was referred to the Bank of New Zealand or die National 3ank. — Charles John Rona-ldson, accountant at tthe National Bank, deposed that accused came into the gold office of that bank on November 2 aild asked what price was given for 9c or 15c gold. Witness advised him to go to the Bank of New Zealand, and directed him there. — Margaret Morris, residing in King street, stated that she knew accused m Auckland, and left that city with him inj October for

Wellington. After remaining in Wellington about three weeks they went to Ohristchurcfr, and after stopping there about a eimialr period came to Dunedin about three weeks ago. Witness stayed at a Mrs Regan's, and on Friday, December' 2, accused came to see her there, and gave her a piece of gold to sell. Witness gave it to Mrs Regan. Accused told •witness where another piece of gold was — namely, buried in the ground at the side of the house. Mrs Regan did not succeed in. selling the other piece of gold, and gave it back to witness, who put it with the piece in the ground. Witness showed the detectives shortly afterwards where the gold was whea they came making inquiries. She identified the pieces of gold produced. She had known, accused about six months. — Ernestine Regan said she had received a piece of gold fromi the previous witness and tried unsuccessfully; to sell it to Mr Souness and Mr Lumtey.! — Detective Hill deposed that on November 2, with Detective Connolly, he received uhe two pieces of gold produced, which were dug up in the garden at Mrs Regan's. When accused! came home with Anderson he was arrested! and told he was charged with> breaking into the houses of Mr Luruley and Mr Smith and! stealing money and jewellery, and also with breaking into the Royal Albert Hotel. He replied: '" I have only been here a week or two, and have done nothing crook since I came here." When the three charges were read to him at the watch-house he made no reply. — This concluded the evidence for th& prosecution in respect to this charge. — Accused stated that if his Worship considered there was sufficient evidence on which, to convict him for trdal he would plead " Guilty." ChaTles Heniy Cox was then further charged with, on November 25, at Dunedin, breaking and entering the dwelling of William . Henry Smith, and stealing a gold watch and goldbangle and about JEIO in money, to the total value of £55; and, further, with, on November 26, atjDunedin, breaking and entering the dwelling of Alfred Jacob Luinley and stealing a quantity of jewellery valued at £52 2s 6d and £i 5s in money. — William Henry Smith, brewer, residing at the corner of Duke and Cumberland streets, deposed that on the afternoon in question the occupants of his house all went out. On their return there were signs that some on-a had been in the house. Witness found his watch missing and JE9 or £10 in money was gone, and also a. gold bangle set with, pearls. The watch was a gold Rotherham hunting watch, with an. in-. scription inside it. The watch dial produced was exactly like that of witness's watch. Alfred Jacob Lumley, manufacturing jeweller, residing at the corner of Cumberland aneß Howe streets, deposed that on November 26 the occupants of his house all went out, and* witness on returning found the house had been ransacked. Tlie lock of the kitchen door was burst off, and a. bent spade was beside the door, and the kitchen window had been> forced open. Witness detailed the articlea of iewellery and money found to be missing. Witness identified articles produced as portion, of his property. — Accused then pleaded " Guilty" to all three charges, and was committed, to the Supreme Court for sentence.