ALLEGED THEFT OF A RING

Colonist, Volume LV, Issue 13736, 30 May 1913, Page 6

ALLEGED THEFT OF A RING

An old man, named Edward Price was charged with having stolon a o-old nng on March 28th, 1913, valued af£l 10s, the property of Allan Gray, orcluirdist, of Lower Moutore. " Sorgeant Darby represented the police. Accused pleaded not guilty Allan Gray stated that on the previous day ho was engaged at Wilkie'.s stiop packing up stock. Accused Mr Grant, and ono of Mr. Grant's employoes wero working with him. Accused and he wore upstairs. About 10 nunutos to 2 he took his ring off his linger and put it on a table, inside a door of tho room where some cases wero stored. He paid accused for the work ho had done, locked up the place, and returned upstairs. He looked for hia ring, but could not find it, and reported the matter to the police. Accused said he had no questions to ask tho witness.

Constable Townsend stated that the previous witnoss reported the loss of a ring about 3 p.m. on Wednesday afternoon, and at 4 o'clock he met accused m Trafalgar street. In reply to witness accused said ho had boon working at Wilkio's, but denied having seen a ring. Witness said he was going to take him into the Trafalgar Hotel, and was going to search him. Accused offered no objection. Ho searched accused, and found tho ring in his waistcoat pocket. Asked where ho got tho ring, accused said he did not know anything about it; that ho had no recollection of putting it in his pocket, and did not know it was there. Accused admitted the ring did not belong to him. Accused, who was quite sober, seemed very surprised when witness found the ring. Accused was inclined to drink, and he believed ho was an absent minded man. Accused told him he could search him, but he would not find anything. Gray, recalled by the Magistrate, said that accused was working with his yost on. He saw accused that morning, and told him that he was sorry for him. Accused said thero was nothing to be sorry about, anybody would pick up a thing like that and give it to a child.

Asked if ho desired to give evidonce, accusod t;aid, <(i did not steal the ring."

Tho Magistrate informed the accused that ho could either make a statomont or give evidence on oath, but pointed out that a .statement was of no value against sworn evidence.

| Accused then went inlo tho box, and I gave evidence. He stated that after | the cases had been cleared ho went round the room to see if there was anything left, He- found a roll of lining, and gave it to Mr. Gray. He then returned to the room, and may have taken tho ring and put it in his pocket -o give to the children. H<^ did not remember picking it up or seeing it. Hy Sergeant Darby: Ho did not put any other things in his pocket for the ichidron. Ho had frequently taken! odds jui(i ends left behind by travellers to give to the children. It was a recognised rule that the swooper could have anything loft behind in sample rooms. Gray stated that on the small table v> Ihtc* the ring was were tins of tobacco, a pipo, a pipe case, and other articles. Accused might have swent the long tables where his samples had been.

The Magistrate said he knew the accused was an old age pensioner, and an absent minded sort of man. As far as he know accused bore a good character. It was quite possible tho ring might have been swept on the floor. If accused had intended to thieve it was more likely that he would have taken the tobacco. He would give accused the benefit of the doubt, "but warned him to bo careful in future about taking things left lying about.