MEN STEAL FROM CARGO

Taranaki Daily News, 25 July 1929, Page 11

MEN STEAL FROM CARGO

DESERTED IN NEW PLYMOUTH.

TERM OF PROBATION ORDERED.

By Telegraph.—Press Association.

Invercargill, Last Night.

Theft of goods from the ,s.e. Northumberland when it was at Bluff 12 months ago was admitted by Frederick William Snowden, a seaman aged 20, John Hislop Bertrand, a fireman aged 24, and Albert Cosmo Horace Harraway, a steward aged 24, in the police court to-day. They were charged with the. theft of a roll of worsted suiting valued at £52 12s and four cases of whisky valued at £49. Detective-Sergt. Hewitt said that in July, 1928, the Northumberland was at Bluff and the articles were stolen. Shortly afterwards the Bluff* police found the articles in a home at Bluff,/ and a man (Jackson) who was arrested, implicated the three accused. Jackson had given the men £l. They saw in a New Plymouth paper an account of the seizure of the goods at Bluff and they deserted their ship. They frankly admitted the offence.

They had been at New Plymouth for twelve months and must have been behaving themselves as they had not come under the notice of 'the police. The men were, first offenders.

The Magistrate said he was willing to admit accused to probation for two years on condition that they prohibited themselves.