POCKET PICKED

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 547, 27 December 1928, Page 1

POCKET PICKED

MAN WHO WAS PRESSED TO “HAVE A SPOT” PROBATION FOR LABOURER While. standing. . i.n a darkened corner of a Queen Street hotel on Thursday evening, Edmund Hugh Campbell felt a hand slide over his shoulder- into his inside pocket; WKert the hand was withdrawn a sum of money, between £2O anc{ £3O, .went with it. At the Police Court this morning John Warren Oliver, a labourer aged 35, was charged with stealing £29 from Mr. Campbell. Mr. R. A. Singer appeared and. entered a plea of not guilty. .. Mr. CampheJl’-e- story was that Tate on Thursday-afterneon he went to the lounge of - the hotel -and was invited by several men, ’ whohi he did not know, to haV© A dririk. This he did and then walked ’ away. Immediately after, when in another part of the building, he felt a hand, in his inside pocket and liis bank-book fell on the floor. He shouted that he was robbed and one of the two men who had accosted him said, “Don’t be silly,” and held him while the man with the money got away. “I saw Oliver, whQ. was a member of the party in the hotel lounge and who took my money., in another hotel two days later,’’* continued* witness. “I followed him -into town* and caught him on a tram -handing him over to the police.” Ttf Mr. Singer, Mr. Campbell admitted ’ that the money stolen might have been less than £29, but not more than. .£5 less. « Detective-Sergeant Doyle, who interviewed Oliver on* his arrival at the police station, • remembered that the man had denied taking the money, though he had said' that he could do with it. “When' I asked him whether he were in the hotel at the time the money w*as taken,” continued Mr. Doyle, “.he would make no answer, saying that he* had better keep quiet as, with the- i«e%3rd he had, a magistrate would believe Canrpberll before he would believe TiinV. however, he admitted that he was in the hotel at the time.” .. ' ' CITY Ml&SION-ER’S PLEA Put in the. box by counsel. Oliver denied that he had ever seen Campbell until he was accosted by him two days after the offence was supposed to have beeh COtnmitted. The Rev. Jasper Colder asked for leniency for Oliver. ,f He is a splendid worker,” lie said. “Old friends are his trouble. He is not strong enough to resist when they say ‘come and have a spot’ and I think a prohibition order would help him a great deal. He is a married man with three children.’ Mr. Calder condemned the law which forbade men to consort with old cronies if their reputations happened to be a little shady. Mr. E. C. Cutten S.M., had no doubt about the case. In spite of severe criticism he thought Mr. Campbell had given his evidence excellently. His story was sufficiently corroborated and Oliver had evidently succumbed to temptation after having a few drinks. “I do not want to punish a man who has tried but fallen from grace while under the influence of liquor.” said the magistrate as, acting on the suggestion of Mr. Singer, he admitted Oliver to probation for two years. He was ordered to make restitution. A further charge of being idle and disorderly was withdrawn by Mr. Hammond, who said that he believed Oliver had been making an effort to go straight lately.