THIEF IN A HOTEL.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLIV, Issue 14191, 8 January 1917, Page 5

THIEF IN A HOTEL.

y y SHIP'S STEWARD CHARGED. J- 1 ; ; UNDER' MATTRESS.' ri yi '■■ ■■ ■ ■ -V* ■■!.- 'As a seqwel'to the robbery at the V. Royal hotel, Auckland,, during 'Wednes"'■■'day n ight and an -arrest by DetecU ve the following day,, a young 'man, named' Cyril* George Pfigg, de--3 scribed .as , a steward on the steamer .-. Westralia', was charged before the Police j /.Court, .Auckland, ..on .Friday,., with stealing a gold Watch and chain, a | J matchbox,., a pendant, n,-,.-' diamond .ring* | and 30s in cash, of a total value of £su, J the -property of David DeCosta ; £38 iii I money, the property of Frederick Hall, : and JBlOr in money, the - pi'operty oi 'Y: Harold P. Dalwood. } (The owners of the property mentioned ; in the charge.. were guests at the hotel. 1 Mr DeCosta- being the secretary of tbe ■ Poverty Bay Turf.Qliib, Mr Dalwood a - commercial traveller, - residing in Gis- ': borne, and Mr-Hall, also of Gisborne. - They gaVe evidence rsgarding the loss • -of- their valuables from clothing in their •rooms diiring Wednesday night. 1 ' Alice Jane Collins, bookkeeper at the :' Royal hotel./ said 'that oir -Wednesday afternooiT accused paid for dinner, bed., and breakfast,* and sighed the- 'register . ;''C. E. Enright." Subsequently he wa? {given, a room oii the 'same floor -as the room occupied^by Mr Hall. He did not •have the meals for- which • he* paid. ' ' / ; William Greenstree't, night porter a' ,'the hotel, said that about 5.30 a.m. on. „Thursday accused came, downstairs and had a cup of tea, afterwards leaving. '•'. Detective A. Hammond said he sa;-^ accused in the forecabiii of the ; Westr [ralia, where hts| vr&'s "ehiployed: as a jsteward..; He admitted staying at -the. •hotelj|ySnd ■ said his name was Enr"giit. tpld,; yhim of -the robbery, and -askjed wl^y he stayed at^lie hbtei under <the naSi,^ of Enright and '^aid/for, m«^ be did not' consume. He. paid he had jno meals, as he had- to get back to the, <ship. Hp ,said bis name was Pegg, but ias his .mother's. -.name was Enright he (had every riglit to use' that iiam4, and ."wanted to know what all the, fuss was* 1 '.ibbut." Witness further qustioned hiim; about ..what jnoney ; he had spent dp. clpthes that morning, and he said -hp had spent about £3 of his own money.. the mattres3vof ;th, & ' bunk "adjoiri.i,n,g accused's witness found the wateh^ 'chain, apd other. articles claimed by .Mj; ' DeCosta. and Jfp43 in notes,' Wi*ap]Sed/iria 'jliandkercliief. Witriess yitlieri arrfet'ed abused, who denied any knowledge; of /the theft,- and* said'^hje; -money wis Uiot .found; on him* • When: witness, ' first interyiewed accused be came;: • fromv tiie •cafcin the -money, waslfpund- '- tj ■',-. \ '.Cross-examineji;*, A^ jiumb^r o"^-^.^©.? Steward s .ocebpied, the saihe quarters as aqcused. ' Wheh :■ witness - first? v :iaw Zp'Z. ,cused another person was ljnn^ iir the > ; bu.pk in : wh ich the money , was l ound.l '■/-: - y .Further heaving, of '.the, case was- a^ ij'quriied for a week, spending .the > retut'M pf v;the Westralia- withoother', .witnesses. ' - MnnßMdaM-ai.;'''