CITY POLICE COURT

Otago Witness, Issue 3415, 29 August 1919, Page 42

CITY POLICE COURT

Monday, August 25. (Before Mr J. R. Bartholomew, S.M.) A Postal Theft.—" Walter John Ansell Jarvis, a youth, was charged with the theft of a postal packet containing a £1 note.— Chief Detective Bishop prosecuted.—Lesjie Faulkner Smith, a clerk in the postal department, said that the accused was in'the post and telegraph department for two years prior to "his resignation on August 7. He had been appointed to Sawyers Bay in September, 1918, and Iris duties were to assist in the despatching of jnail matter and telegrams.—Annie Isabella Prattley, a resident of Sawyers' Bay, stated that on March 11 she posted a letter con taining £l. addressed to Mr Howarth. The money was the final instalment on a piano. —Alfred Howarth, secretary for Messrs Laidlaw and Gray, said that he had not received payment by letter from Mrs Prattley.—Detective Hall stated that he and Detective Sergeant Cameron had inter-, viewed the accused, and he had admitted that he had opened four letters in all, from two of which he had extracted money. —Accused pleaded guilty, and was committed to the Supreme Court for sentence. Bail in his own -recognisance of £SO was allowed. , Alleged Theft.—Alexander Ogg was charged with breaking and entering a dwelling at Green Island and stealing £8 6s 8d and various articles of jewellery, valued at £l7 6s Bd.—A remand was granted, bail being in £IOO, with two sureties of £SO. ' Theft of Rabbitskms.—Four youthsCharles Lee, Alexander Latimer, Peter James Hughes, and 'John Greer—whoso ages ranged from 20 to 16 years, pleaded guilty to stealing 121 b of rabbitskms, valued at £3, the property of White and Co.— Mr C. J. L. White appeared for all the accused, who pleaded guilty.—Chief Detective Bishop said that on July 18, the boys who were employed by White and Co.. had taken the skins to Mr Kennelly's. in Crawford street, for sale. Mr Kennelly, recognising Messrs White and Co.'s cart outside his store, told the lads to come back again, and in the meantime he made inquiries.—Nothing previously had been known against the accused, all of whom came from respectable homes. When charged they admitted their jruilt, and the skins had been recovered. —Mr White said that the lads had stolen the skins yast previous to the peace # celebrations. They Were not receiving high wages, and were probably tempted to make a few shillings to spend on the occasion.—Mr Axelsen said he -would-exercise supervision over the boys, and they were each admitted to probation for 12 months. Wednesday, August 27. (Before Mr H. T. Widdowson, S.M.) Burglary.—Alexander Of?cr was accused of breaking and entering a dwelling-house at Green Island, and stealing therefrom £8 6s 8d in money and various articles of jewellery valued at £l7 6s Bd.—Mr C. J. L. White appeared on his behalf. —James Dunlop, a resident of Brighton road, Green Island, said that he was the secretary of the local Miners' Union. On August 22 he left home with his wife and children about 6.30 p.m., leaving all the doors and windows locked, with the exception of one window with a broken catch, by which the person entering had gained access to the room. \Vitnes3 returned home from Dunedin at 9.35 p.m., and discovered next morning that the place had been entered and the money and jewellery mentioned was missing. He reported the matter to the police, and was present when accused wa& arrested. He identified the jewellery produced as his. property. Questioned by Mr White, witness said that the Green Island miners had been out on strike for nine weeks and a-half. He did not know what the accused's financial position was.—Detective Bammerly gave evidence that he, accompanied by Sergeant Nelson, had cone to Green Island on Sunday week. As the result of inquiries made there, he interrogated the accused at his house. They recovered all the property produced at the back of a shed on accused's property, where it was buried. Accused then admitted committing the offence and was arrested.—accused pleaded guilty, and was remanded to the Supreme Court for sentence.