THEFT OF MOTOR CYCLE.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLVI, Issue 14927, 3 June 1919, Page 5

THEFT OF MOTOR CYCLE.

In the Magistrate's Court yesterday afternoon, before Mr J. S. Barton, S.M;, Arthur Leslie .Beets was charged , with the theft of la motor cycle, valued at £60, the property of. Louis Dqleman. Mr Burnaro' appeared, on behalf of the accused.

• Louis Doleman, orchardist, . Patutahi, said he remembered the night of April! 27th, when he came .to town and. left' his motor cycle m an open shed behind the Ford garage, about 6.45 p.m. On returning at ll that night he found the cycle was. gone. - Witness saw the motcr cycle m the Court, and was sure that it was his machine. He identified it by the number, 82093, which was stamped on the crank-case m three places. The machine was a slatey-blue color left m the shed. It had since been enamelled a' khaki-green color. ■ „ He did «ot know accused, and gave no one authority to take the machine. The motor was a 1917 model Excelsior.

Clifford Corlett, mechanic .m. the Swan and. Indian, Agency Cby., m Gladstone Road, said he knew accused as, a customer, when he came. .m to have his motor cycle done up and rerenamelled like .the* latest Excelsior. When the machine came it was. a greeny color. First of all . accused said the machine belonged /to a friend— that he. had damaged it and wished it repaired. He later came and said he had seen his' friend and purchased .the machine .for £63. Tire machine m the Courthouse was the same ono as was left with .witness, by the accused. ( . . At. this stage. Detective McLeod said he desir_d to. thank Mr Corjett for the trouble lie went to m tracing the owner of rthe machine.

Wm. Richardsou Swinton, «accountant at Frances and Lougher's, said, accused was m the employ of the firm for a time. Accused came to witness, and asked him to write out a receipt. He said he had bought a motor cycle for £65. He had sent on the money and received np receipt. The receipt (produced) was made out for accused. '.' Detective J. McLeod ' said that on May 26 he arrested accused on "a charge of the theft of a motor cycle. In. ans wet* to , the .charge he denied stealing the machine, and said . he bought it from Steve Randall for £50 and had ■his receipt.. Accused showed him the receipt. , Witness asked him who made the receipt .- out,, and he replied 'T don't, know— l got it from ; Randall, as he. was leaving by .the boat for Wanganui." . On th&. morning .of May 27, witness, asked .accused to give a des-. cription of the man Randall. He then replied, "I will tell you the truth*/ I took, the machine, and took it to <a shop, to be enamelled and overhauled."

To ;Mr .Burnard.: . Witness had only known accused, .for a couple of months. Accused entered .. a plea of guilty and was committed to the Supreme Court for sentence.

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