OLD MAN'S THEFT.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LI, Issue 16869, 26 October 1925, Page 14

OLD MAN'S THEFT.

DECEASED LAD’S PROPERTY. The recent fatality at Kauakanaia, when an English public schoolboy, James Bradshaw, was killed by a fulling tree, was mentioned in the Magistrate’s Court this, morning, when an elderly man, George Bovin, was brought- before Mr. E. 0. Levvey, S.M. The accused was charged with stealing a gold watch, a silver pencil, a camera, and a razor strop, to the value oL £l.O, the property of the estate of the deceased. The accused, who was not represent ed by counsel, pleaded not guilty, and elected to be dealt with summarily. Constable Leckie, giving evidence, stated that he had known the accused for four years, and his only bad habit was that lie was addicted to drink. Senior-Sergeant Fitzpatrick explained that the accused and tho deceased lad occupied the same wharc. The articles concerned wore found to be missing and were subsequently found in the accused’s room after the lad’s death.

'Robert Bruce, on whose farm Bovin and the deceased had been employed, imposed that after the lad s death he received instructions to pack up his belongings, and tho gold watch was missed. Prior to this, however, the deceased’s belongings had been removed from the wharc to the store-room. "Witness gave instructions to another young man to look in the accused’s wharc for the gold watch and other missing articles. Some of the things were found in Bovin’s room, and witness subsequently interviewed him, but he said lie knew nothing of the articles.

Corroborative evidence was given by Rose Bruce, wife of the previous witness. Witness stated that she saw’ Gi& strop under the mattress in the accused's room, and the camera on a shelf there.

Andrew Grieve Patterson, a farm hand employed by Robert Bruce, said that, w’hon lie was shown to his quarters in the wharc he saw’ a camera on a shelf* and the pencil in a w’ooden box. The remainder of his evidence < orroborated that of the previous witnesses.

Evidence also was given by Robert Rummer field Not man, another farm l and'employed by Robert Bruce. The accused, in evidence, stated he knew nothing at all about the articles, ami had not stolen them.

The Magistrate: You are an old man; why don’t you tell me tlie truth? —1 have, your Worship. Well, how did these things get into vour room? —That’s what puzzles me. Well it doesn’t puzzle me much after the evidence. There is no doubt in my mind that you took the things. It was a very mean thing to take the articles belonging to the deceased lad. If you would tell mo what you did with the watch I might deal more leniently with you. I will remand you for sentence for seven days, in custody, and that will give you time to think over the matter. If you nro disposed to tell me where the watch is I will treat you a bit differently.