A MISSING SUITCASE.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLVII, Issue 15301, 24 August 1920, Page 6

A MISSING SUITCASE.

GISBORNE! PASSENGER'S LUGGAGE. The charge against Sarah Reed vi stealing a suit-case valued at £20, the property of Winnifred Stuchey, was heard at the Napier Police Court before Mr. ft W.Dyer, S.M., on Tuesday.. Mr. Rogers appeared for accused, and pleaded not guilty. Senior-Sergeant Earles said both parties came from Gisborne by boat on Thursday. The bag was found to be missing, Accused had been heard on two occasions after the boat arrived to say I that Iter bag was missing, and that the one belonging to Miss Stuckey. would do < her. The bag had not been tampered with, and was found m accused's posses- j sion.' , Miss W. StucKey, of Danncvirkc, gave evidence as to seeing the bag on arrival, when there wis a label with her name attached. She valued the case and contents at £40 An unusual position arose out of- this statement. The information put the value at £20 which is the limit of the Jurisdiction of the lower Court. His Worship suid he doubled whether he could deal with thc offence. Mr. Rogers i*.aid he wanted the matter dealt with by His Worship ir possible. Mr. Dyer decided that the case must go before the Supreme Court. The taking of depositions was then proceeded wtih. Witness, continuing, said she left the wharf before the luggagS was taken from the .trolly by the carrier. Michael F. O'Rourke, carrier, deposed to seeing accused come from the boat. She was looking for luggage which she could not find. She went back to the ship, and came back to the root of the breakwater again. She told a friend that the steward said he had put her suit-case off at Gisborne. Accused then went and picked up the suit-case m question, and said she would keep it till she found her own. They got into a taxi and left. — To Mr. Rogers: When accused was speaking witness was about 20 feet from her. Perclval S. Hillier, taxi driver, said he had brought thc accused and two .others to town. Accused said she had lost a suit-case, ami the ono the had taken was very lihc it. If accused told Sergeant Cox that witness carried the suit-case off the wharf the statement would be incorrect. Sergeant H. Cox deposed to receiving information, as the result of which he gained the suit-case from accused's possession. Accused was with a companion, who gave her name as Edith Magee, and said the. suit-case would be one brought there by mistake. Accused said she had lost her suit-case, and the taxi driver had brought the wronfe" one from tlie wharf. He rang miller, who denied this.; Accused then said the taxi driver had told her to take the suit-case till she got her own. Accused denied having made the statement attributed to her Dy O'Rourke. Witness then arrested her, and charged her with the theft.— To Mr. Rogers: He did not get a, written statement. Three others were present at the time. His Worship said the evidence seemed to be thai accused intended to hold the suit-case till she got. her own. Sergeant Cox said this was denied by accused Accused elected to give evidence. j Mr. Rogers said the accused found her i baggage was missing and took this till she fornd her own. H's Worship said it was really a trespass of goods, m which Miss Stuckey might sue for damages. There was not any evidence of theft. She had probably prevaricated to Sergeant Cox. The act was certainly illegal. It die", nut. seem to be an intentoin io permanently appropriate. It was decided not to call evidence for tho defence. His Worship reprimanded accused, and dismissed tile information. ———————