THE JEWELLERY AND OTHER ROBBERIES.

Otago Witness, Volume 23, Issue 2684, 23 August 1905, Page 49

THE JEWELLERY AND OTHER ROBBERIES.

TWO OF THE ACCUSED PLEAD " GUILTY." REMANDED TO THE SUPREME COURT FOR SENTENCE. At the City Police Court on the 15th inst, before Mr H. Y. Widdowson, S M., George Augustus Vincent, alias Brownley, alias Robt. Palmer, and William Preston, alias Jones, who were under remand on charges of vagrancy, were charged with breaking and entering a number of private residences and stealing therefrom quantities of jewellery and certain sums of money.

Chief Detective Herbert, who conducted tho prosecution, said it would shorten the proceedings if the whole of the informations were taken together. He suggested this course, as he understood the accused intended to plead guilty, and would elect to be sent to the Supreme Court for sentence.

His Worship said he wsi3 not sure this could be done in cases where the offences occurred on different dates and in different premises, and tbe charges had better be heard separately. The first case called was that wherein the accused were jointly charged with breaking and entering the dwelling-house of Charles Clark at Caversha.ni on the 4th inst. and steal ing therefrom jewellery and 15s in money, to the total value of £9 10s.

Chief Detective Herbert explained that the stolen property had since boen recovered from an outhouse where the accused resided previous to their arrest upon another charge. Evidence in support of the information was given -by

Jane Clark, wife of Charles Clark, residing in Edwin street, Caveraham, who stated that on the 4th inst. a few minutes before 12 noon she left her home, and returned again about 20 minutes past 3 p.m. On returning she discovered the back window wide open. Before going out she had fastened the window with a nail, and it had evidently b&en opened by shaking the window sash unti] the nail fell out. On making investigations she found the chest of drawers opened and all the rooms in the house ransacked, the pockets of trousers turned inside out, and^^jiocket book opened and thrown on the floor. She identified the articles of jewellery produced as her property, and, in addition to these artioles, she had 15s in a pursp in a chest of drawers, which was also missing. detective Hill stated thai, in" company with Acting-detective M'Leod, he arrested the two accused on tho Bth inst. on another charge, and on the 9th mat., in. company with M'Leod, he made a search of the premises occupied by the accused, and found in an outhouse the jewellery produced, as well as other jewellery. He accused the two men on the 12th inst. of tb« offence, and they each admitted entering the house and stealing the articles, and stated that.it was their intention to plead guilty and go to the Supreme Court for sentence. The aocused, two young men evidently between the ages of 21 and 25 years, were then" cautioned, and both pleaded " Guilty."

The same accused were charged with breaking and entering the vdwelling-house of James Johnston at Montecillo on the 4th inst., and stealing therefrom jewellery and 21s in money, to the total value of £5 Is.

Annie Johnston, wife~""©f Thomas Johnston, who gave evidence in support of the information, stated that on the date in question she left her home at Montecillo at about 2 p.m when she secured the doors and windows. On her return to the house at abotit 5 p.m. she noticed the house was upset, and next morning the children's money box, containing about 21s, was found to be missing. The lock of the door had baen loosened with a tomahawk, and the door had marks upon it where it had been forced. A gold bangle, the one produced, was also missing. The value of the bangle was £4.

Acting-detective M'Leod stated that the bangle, with other jewellery, was found on the 9th inst. in premises occupied by the accused The accused, when charged, pleaded guilty to the theft.

Both accused pleaded " Guilty " to the charge.

Tho accused -were furtiier charged with breaking and entering the dwelling-Louse of Henry Lionel Spros'en on the 6th mat., and stealing therefrom jewellery and £7 10s in money, to the total value of £19 12s 6d.

Henry Lionel Sprcsen, chemist, carrying on business in George Street, stated that he reEided in Clyde street, and on the 6th inst., with his wife and family, left his home at about 5 p.m., and returned again at about 9.30 p.m. "When he left the house it was all secured except one side window, which was a littla open. On the return of himself and the family in the evening a 'candle that had been left in a bedroom was found on the kitchen table, and the back door was found closed, but not locked. The side window was wide open. Tfie articles produced were missed, and they were his and his wife's property, and were valued at about £19 12s 6d. The sum of £7 10s in money was also missing.

Detective Hill gave evidence identical with that given in the first charge, and the accused, after being cautioned, pleaded " Guilty."

The accused were then charged with breaking and entering the dwelling-house of Jeaamie Peter on the Bth inst., and stealing therefrom a- gold watch, a gold curb chain, a gold and diamond bracelet, a gold cable bangle, a gold brooch set with rubies and pearls, a lady's dress ring set with opals, a lady's dress ring set with rubies and pearls, of the total value of £55 Is, the property of Annie Peter.

Annie Peter, who resides with her mother at Harbour terrace, stated that on the date of the information her mother and herself left their home together in the forenoon and returned at about 3 p.m. On entering the house they discovered that the back door had been forced open and the drawers in every room ransacked. The goods produced, which she identified, were taken away, and she afterwards say them at the Police Station. A gold bangle was also missed, but this had since, in response to an advertisement, been returned by the person who found it. ' All her property had been recovered, and its total value was £55 Is. .

Acting-detective M'Leod repeated his evidence in the former cases, with the addition that in Miss Peter's caee the bangle had been dropped by the accused whan running away. They admitted this, and Miss Peter had recovered the article by advertising fos it. Both, accused pleaded " Guilty," and His Worship formally remanded them upon all the informations for sentence by the Supreme Court.

The same accused who were remanded to appear on the 17th inst. on charges of vagrancy, were then, at the request of Chiff Detective Herbert, biought up 021 these charges, and no evidence being offered the information was allowed to be withdrawn.

The third accused (Attewell), who had been remanded to the 17th inst., was brought up ' n the original charge of vagrancy, and on the application of Chief Detective Herbert, \v'io stated that inquiries were still being prosecuted, he woo -j^nanded till next day (Thursday).