THEFT OF LADY’S WATCH.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXV, Issue 9, 7 January 1913, Page 5

THEFT OF LADY’S WATCH.

ACCUSED SENT FOR TRIAL. James Allison .Mclntosh, of M ban gam onion a, labourer, was charged at the Court this morning before Messrs. C. I).' Sole and S. B. Hunter, J.R.’ethat, on the 25th day of Decern b«sr. 1912, at Whangamomona, lie did stoat from the dwelling house o'f James llotherey, a gold watch of the value oi £8 IDs, the property of Annie Robber ey. Sergeant McXeely prosecuted, and in opening the case, stated that accused went into the hotel, walked upstairs and entered a private sittingroom used by the family, and stole a lady’s gold watch. Annie Jane Rotherey, sister of the licensee of the Whangamomona Hotel, identified the watch, produced, as her property, and deposed that she last saw the watch at 10 o’clock at night on December 27th last, and ivas them on the mantel-piece of the private sit-ting-room. The room was upstairs, in the hotel, and was used only by members of the licensee’s family. Next morning, at about 7.30 o’clock, she went into the sitting-room to look for her watch, but it was not there. The watch had cost her £8 10s. William Evans, barman in the Whangamomona Hotel, gave evidence to the effect that he knew the accused, and, during the Christmas holidays, had noticed him about the hotel. On Saturday morning, December 28th, at between 7 and 7.30 o’clock, he saw the accused coming down the stairs of the hotel. Mclntosh had not been to the bar that morning, and to his (witness’s) knowledge, was sober. Accused: Was I drinking heavily during the Christmas holidays? Witness: Yes; I suppose you were. Sergeant MoNeely objected to a “leading question” being put, and the witness’s qualifying answer was taken down—“ You had been drinking heavily, but wore not drunk on the morning in question.” Accused: Have you ever seen me drunkP Yvitness; I may have seen you drunk, but I cannot vouch for it. Constable Scannoll gave evidence as to the -arrest of the accused. On the morning of December 28th last, he received a report of the theft of Miss Rotherey’s watch. He made enquiries and interviewed the accused. “I asked the accused,” proceeded the Constable, “if he knew anything about the watch, as he was seen upstairs in the hotelf He denied all knowledge of 'having the watch. I asked him to turn his pockets out, and he turned out the outside pockets of his coat. He then pulled his coat off and threw it on the ground. I picked up the coat myself and searched the inside match pocket, and found the watch there.” The watch was identified, and the accused duly taken in charge. Accused had remarked, on being locked up, “This is all through drink again.” When accused was arrested, however, he was perfectly sober. Accused: What conditioiy was I in on Friday night ? Constable Scannell: I did not see you then; I was absent from Whmgamomona. I have never seen you in a helpless state of intoxication. You may have had a few drinks in, but you were .quite capable of looking after yourself. You, certainly, gave me no trouble, and, when you are not thanking, are a hard-working fellow. This closed the evidence for the

prosecution, and accused, who pleaded guilty, was duly committed for trial.