KEG PARTY SEQUEL

Southland Times, Issue 21219, 21 October 1930, Page 8

KEG PARTY SEQUEL

THEFT OF OVERCOAT. TWO MEN CONVICTED. “You men should have more sense. You aren’t children and you’re not fools,” said Mr E. C. Levvey, SAL, in the City Police Court yesterday morning in convicting Andrew James Lee, aged 27, and Percy James McKeller Cuff, aged 27, of the theft of an overcoat at Waikiwi on Saturday evening. Both of the accused pleaded not guilty. Sergeant Abel prosecuted, while Mr A. F. Hogg appeared for Lee and Mr Gordon Reed represented Cuff. Arthur Keith Mac Ewan, bank clerk, eaid that at the time he was outside the Gladstone Boy Scouts’ Club-room in company with the witness Waymouth. . They had a lorry, his coat being inside it. There were two men outside leaning up against a hedge. He recognized the accused Lee. He then went inside and found Waymouth talking, to another man. When they came out they found the articles‘missing. The two accused were then further down the road.

To Mr Hogg: He had never seen Lee about the place before. When he went in he found Waymouth talking to a third man by the verandah.

To Mr Reed: The articles were left on the lorry. The overcoat only was recovered. When the rapping on the window had occurred he had gone outside. Frank Waymouth, bank clerk, said that on the night in question two men were leaning up against the hedge near the club-rooms at 7.15.

To Mr Hogg: All three men were under the influence of liquor. To Mr Reed: When he-had gone into the hall after talking to Cuff there had been a rapping on the window and two men had been seen running away. There might have been more, but only two were seen. Police Constable Mcßae, of Waikiwi, said that at 8.30 on the night in question he had received a complaint about three men “hanging around” the Boy Scouts’ Club-room in Russell street. The third man was very’ drunk and was leaning up against the fence. He noticed that Lee threw a coat to Cuff, who dropped it on the footpath. Both denied all knowledge of the overcoat. He said then that he would take the men to the Police Station.

To Mr Hogg: Lee said nothing about the coat being put on his bicycle without his knowledge. Mr Hogg said that Lee’s story was that on the afternoon in question they had had a keg-party. Lee had bought some articles to take home. At night the question of the disposal of the jar had arisen and Lee had taken it to the brewery. When he returned he found the overcoat on his bicycle. The accused Lee said that on Saturday evening, he having promised to return the jar to the brewery, they took up a position under the light in Russell street. Witness left his bicycle and parcels there and went to the brewery. After he had returned Cuff came out of the right-of-way with the overcoat on his arm and remarked “This will do me nicely for work.” Both witness and the third man remonstrated with him. As far as he could understand the coat was placed on his bicycle to enable Cuff to make a cigarette. To Mr Reed: Cuff had said to him that morning that he took the coat. Cuff had said to witness that he was so drunk at the time that he did not remember where he got the coat. To Sergeant Abel: The third man was the most drunk of the three and Cuff was the next worst. He had refused to take the coat back that night, because Mac Ewan and Waymouth might have thought that he had stolen it. Witness did not want to give Cuff away. He had gathered all his parcels and intended to go home. He wished to have nothing to do with the coat.

The accused Cuff said he remembered having the overcoat in his hand. He was a married man with one child, he was in employment and he had never been before the court before.

His Worship: Then you are a fool of the first water.

Mr Hogg said that Lee was a single man, and drink was his trouble.

His Worship said that both men should have had more sense. He would order them to come up for sentence if called upon within twelve months and make an order for the restitution of the coat.