DUNEDIN POLICE COURT. Monday, June 14.

Otago Witness, Issue 2883, 23 June 1909, Page 66

DUNEDIN POLICE CO U RT. Monday, June 14.

(Before Mr H. Y. Widdowson, S.M.) A Dishonest Steward. — John Burns \&n. ex-steward on the Monowai), ~on , remand, pleaded " Guilty " to a charge -of "reeeivinjr three electric lights, valued at" ss, an/ electric connection, valued at ss, and a key, valued at Is, the property of " the Union^sJteam Ship Company, knowing that S the- articles, were stolen. Accused also pleaded ' " Guilty " to stealing, on December ■ 22, at Wellington, ■ from the s.s. - . Monowai, a gold - curb" chain, Bracelet, j small chain and padlock." a gold band - 1 bracelet, valued at £7,,- the property of - John Stewart Wauchop. He- was further convicted, on evidence tendered on Friday, of being a rogue and a vagabond, in that he had skeleton key* and honeebreak-ins: - tools in his possession. — The polios-- cvi-- •■ dence showed that the jewellery- 1 stolen wca' taken from tha cabin of a passenger while , th-e- Monowai was at "Wellington. It was also stated that accused was dismissed from the Railway Department for suspected ■ dishonesty^ white actings as. a waiter in the .. rcfr-eshnient car. — He; w§s sentenced, .jto one month's imprisonment on the-- two , charges of theft, and to three months' . iin- . "- prisonjnenf for having bursrter's appliance^ -^- - in his possession, the santeqees "to , run "; - . concurrently. . - ' ' J t ' ""* \Be£ore Mr J. R. Bartholomew, S.M.) ; Alleged Theft of x Jewellery*— Frederick M-atthewi was chjirgt~id»that he did, on' Feb---" ruary 27, . break and enter the dwelling of '• Arthur Smith, Anderson's Bay road, and - steal therefrom articles of jewellery to the , valu3 of £10. — Chief-detective Herbert " stated that some of the missing* ' jewellery had be-en found in the possession of a young woman, an acquaintance of j the accused. — Alice- Sbiith stated that about . 7 p.m. on February 27 she left her horns •at Anderson's Bay road in. company with ■ her husband. On returning- &t about 9 p.m. she found the- bathroom window open, although it was closed when witness and her husband left the house. The window fastener was broken off. The jewellery was taken f rom a doiclresse chest in witness's bedroom, and the bad room was all ransacked. The chain, and ring produced were portion of the jewellery taken. Arthur Smith, husband of the last witness, gave~ corroborative evidence. Alice Lee, residing in Castle street, etated that she had known, accused for about two years, and had worked with him at the Phoenix Biscuit Factory. He told witness one 'Saturday night in Princes street that he wished to maike friends with her again, and she told ' • him sJie did .not wish to have anything more to do with him. Accused then put a gold chain, the one produc&d, round her neck, and asked her to accept it as a. gift from him. Witness took the chain "ac<l "^ ." . left accused/ and went.- • away; with- her " ~ "frfend. - At a later date accused gave her.. ': the ring produced. . Accused* told- witness be "had" bought the ring, and, c'oain'"aitr an ," auction sale. Witness had rever " walked i out " with • accused. . She handed the jewellery over to the -detectives; and on. -the *; eafne ,riigiit -she • asked Eccu-sed- why he had .- not told her the jewellery, was stolen, and he implied that hs did not do so because" . h© did x not wish to give away regarding . himself. — Thomas- Bowe, . labourer-,' stated that about .two months ago accused offered to €©11 him, "what ap- _ geared to be a gold "locket for ss.— To* acoused: I have never shared the proceeds ' of a robbery with anyone. — Detective Lilly , etated that he received the ring and chain - produced from Alice Lee. 'On the same . ■ciato ho spoke to accused, who denied that * he had given jewellery to Alice Lee or anyone else. He denied that he had ever ' seen the ring- or chain -before. To accused : We searched your room for jewellery, but did not find any. — Detective Hunt corroborated the evidence of the previous wit- . ncttS. On the ■ morning after accused's ar- -. rest he said, "You will never convict- nw- • for house-breaking; you might" for receiv- < ing." — Accused pleaded " Not STiilty," and was committed for trial. - - - A Warning to Unlicensed Cigarette- ( irakers. — George 'Moody, hairdresser, was charged with making cigarettes by hand without being licensed to do so. — The. Col- • lector of Customs (Mr Sibbald) stated tliafc i f , was necessary to liavo a warrant to ' '■ - manufacture cigarettes. Defendant, em- / ployed a cigarette-maker to make cigarettes, . and the manufacture was carried on in the window of defendant's shop during In-dustri-es Week. - The Customs authorities, looked upon the manufacture of cigarettes without a license' as- a serious offence.^as, when tobacco was cut up, it was impossible to traoo "where it- came from. — Defendaniff ©tatted that he was not aware of the re- - 1 quirements of the few in t .c 'matter, and • had only employed "a cigarette-maker- dur- - ing Industries Week -as a -special attraction. • — A fine of £10. was imposed, his -Worship ; remarking that- the' authorities -looked upon the offence as a serious one, as a penalty l up to £50 was provided for, and the lowest * penalty was £10. A warrant to manufac- " turo cost only ss.