ALLEGED THEFT.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXXIV, Issue 10965, 7 May 1907, Page 2

ALLEGED THEFT.

••• At the Police Court this morning, William McGregor Dick and William James Lyons weie charged with .having stolen a purse yesterday, containing £4 2m 6d, the property of Elizabeth Stockwell Muir. Detective Maddem conducted the prosecution. Mrs Muir, wife of George Muir, of Munultuke, stated tlmt she came to town by coach yesterduy morning, carrying a purse containing an order on the Loan and Meicantile Agency Company for £10 16s, in "favor of George Poulgrain, also either £4 10s or £5 10s in notes and a half-sovereign and some coppers. The purse produced was very much like the one she lost, and the order produced was the one it contained. ' She reported her loss to the police, and also advertisedit. By accused Dick : It was between 10 and 11 o'clock when she lost the purse. Constable Wales deposed that at 1.45 p.m. yesterday accused Dick told him that he found a cheque and that he had advertised it. About 4.30 accused .Dick asked for a private interview, and asked if witness had heard anything "about that cheque." Witness said he did not want to have anything to do with the eheq-ie unless it was handed to him officially. He said nothing about a purse or any other money. Witness shortly afterwards ascertained there was a purse oontainiiig 'money lost. . About 6.30, in company with Constable "Hancox, he met accused Dick in the Turanganui hotel, and asked him where he found the cheque. He said in front of the .post-office. Witness asked if he found anything : else, and he replied in the negative. Witness t" en showed him an advertisement in the Herald, which accused said he had inserted. * Witness asked him for .. the purse, and accused took it out of his pocket (purse produced). The purse, was empty. ■ Asked if there was anything in it when" he found it, he said only the cheque. Accused then wonted to know if he was t_ be arrested, and said he woidd tell the truth if not taken into custody/; but if arrested he would say nothing.*'-?' At the police station accused admitted he was with accused Lyons about 9 o'clock that^momine^njiJp4sk.ed ■TO"'tfr<r£^r_s if f ioJuTof weypost-oi&ct. This statement/ was taken down iu writing, and accusedi signed it. The state-' ment incriminated "himself , and Lyons, the latter he said, advising him to do away with the cheque. and to "cut, up the \gllt." 'Accused Dick also handed him £2 as part of the money found in the purse. There was also 3s 9d in silver on -accused. About 7 O'clock witness met accused Lyons at the Tttranganui hotel, arid informed him that Dick had made a statement implicating him on a charge of theft. Accused Lyons admitted he 'was in Diok's company. When Dick's statement was read to him at the, station, he remarked -it was all wrong, and decided to make .rio. statement, himself.'—By accused Dick: He did not tell witness at the hotel there was something else in the purse besides tlie cheque. , ; :; ■ Accused Lyons volunteered to give evidence. He stated he,*, was with accused Dick yesterday morning, when he picked up a purse at the post-office. They went to the Gisborne hotel. He was not sure if they had a. drink, but- they went out to the back, and Dick said they would open the purse. Wlijen he counted over the money .he put it all back again. Witness advised him to. give it to the police, but/ Dick said he knew what he would do with it. They then went to the. Coronation hotel, where Dick asked hirtV to wait till he came back. He returned about half an hour later, when he said .he had advertised it. They parted, and witness did riot see him for about two hours. He was then in an hotel with a man named Cook. Witness asked Dick if he had any money on him' arid lor the loan of £1. Dick remarked he had got some out of the bank, and pulled out some loose notes and gave witness £L After paying an account he handed Dick back 2s. — By Detective 1 " Maddern : He did not go into the back yard of the hotel to open. the purse. That was not his reason. He, was not interested. Accused simply remarked how much there was and witness told him 1 to hand it to the police. It was not true that "he (Lyons) desired' to "ciit up the gilt.", Dick shouted him several drinks yesterday afternoon. Before the finding of the purse Dick told him he was going to draw money out of tlie bank. When charged with theft he : thought he said he knew nothing about it. Addressing accused Lyons, the Magistrate said_there was hardly sufficient evidence against him to record a conviction, and he would be discharged. As regards uccused Dick* he had no doubt of his guilt. It was' the duty of persons findr ing money to take reasonable steps to restore tlie money to the owner, Either by reporting it to tlie police or advertising it. He certainly had advertised .the purse, but mentioned nothing abo-.it the money it contained.— Ac-sused, interrupt' ing, said that -part of accused's Lyons' statement W;i6 untrue. He had no intention to steal the money, and was under the influence of liquor. He'*aid nothing about having been to the bank, where he only had 5s 6d. . Chas. H. Ambridge, secretary 1.0.0.F., M.U., stated that accused recently arrived froni Taranaki, and was a member of the lodge. He .called at his shop yesterday morning and stated he hud foulid a purse. Witness advised him to advertise it, and wrote out an advertisement for him'. He saw the purse contained notes, half a sovereign, coppers, and a cheque. At 11.15 he :.saw accused again, and advised liim to go into the Loan and Mereantile__andi thought he Went in. At 6' o'clock witness said he had handed the purse over to the police. — By the Bench: Each time witness met accused he appeared tb have had refreshments, but he was sober. Accused appeared to be quite straightforward about tlie matter, but was perhaps a. bit -peculiar in his manner. — Accused was' remanded until to-morrow for the report of the probation officer. / : -'