ELTHAM WHISKY THEFT

Taranaki Daily News, 31 August 1933, Page 6

ELTHAM WHISKY THEFT

PATRICK O’KEEFE PLEADS GUILTY. TO BE SENTENCED AT WELLINGTON Patrick O'Keefe pleaded guilty at the Eltham Police Court yesterday to ■ a charge that he entered by night the premises of G. H. Mann, Eltham, and stole therefrom two bottles of whisky valued at £l. Mr. I. J. Bridger and Mrs. W. E. Carter, justices of the peace, were on the bench and Detective A. B. Meiklejohn conducted the prosecution. O’Keefe was committed to the Supreme Court at Wellington for sentence.

George Herbert Mann, wine and spirit merchant, described finding that the premises had been broken into. Spaces on the shelves indicated that a quart bottle of whisky valued at 12s 6d and a small bottle valued at 7s 6d were missing. No money was missing from the till. The bottles produced vrere similar to the ones missed. Constable F. Townsend stated that on receiving the complaint he visited the premises and made an inspection’. Next day he obtained the assistance of Detective Meiklejohn and it was discovered that the accused had taken a similar small bottle to a friend’s house the previous night. At first O’Keefe contended that he had purchased the whisky at the Coronation Hotel, but the following day he admitted breaking into Mann’s and stealing the whisky. A statement by O’Keefe was produced admitting the offence. He said he had been drinking a good deal on the Sunday. POHOKURA WOMEN’S DIVISION. EXCELLENT DISPLAY OF WORK. The Pohokura branch of the Women’s Division held its first birthday party on Friday. The party which was held in the Pohokura schoolroom, was well attended by the various branches and took the form of a social afternoon combined with an exhibition of arts and crafts. A prize was given for the best article made of materials costing not more than Is 6d There was a large and varied entry for this competition and it was hard to recognise the homely flour and sugar bag and other thrifty materials when evolved into useful and daity articles. The prize, which was decided by popular vote, was annexed by a toy rabbit which was cunningly made of an old astrachan coat. A wonderful display of embroidered and crocheted supper cloths was also very worthy of mention, and the large number of knitted articles of all description exhibited showed that the “use more wool” campaign had a great many followers at Pohokura. After luncheon the beautifully iced birthday cake was cut and speeches were made by members of the various branches. Social items were given by many of those present, including a delightful exhibition of tap dancing in costume by Miss Winmill, Stratford. JUNIOR RUGBY FOOTBALL. Junior Rugby teams representing the Central and Southern Wednesday Divisions will play at Stratford to-day as part of a five-team contest organised by the Taranaki Rugby Union. Each division has a plentiful supply of good players on which to draw and the teams selected are those which should give a good exhibition of the code. The match will be played at Victoria Park, beginning "at 2.30 p.m. Central players will assemble at the gymnasium at 1.45 p.m. CARS COLLIDE AT MIDHIRST. BOTH DAMAGED BUT NO INJURIES. Meeting head on in the main road in Midhirst township early yesterday afternoon, two sedan cars suffered damage to the front assemblies and right front wheels mainly. Neither overturned and no glass was broken, both drivers escaping unhurt. Mr. J. Castelli, a Midhirst resident, was driving south and Mr. McNeill, a Wellington traveller, was on his way north. The cars met opposite the Midhirst hotel, in the vicinity of which was a large lorry engaged with a road-maintenance gang. The two front wheels came into contact. Mr. Castelli’s car had the right mudguard crumpled, most of the spokes broken from the wheel, the hub and brake twisted, the axle badly bent and the gear box broken open. The damage to the other car consisted of a broken wheel, an axle bent severely, dents in the mudguard and a buckled chassis. The cars were removed to Stratford garages. ELTHAM TALKIES. A FINE MYSTERY DRAMA. A bright and varied programme, with a thrilling drama as its main feature, will be shown at the Eltham Theatre to-night. It is a Gainsborough picture play, “The Frightened Lady,” from the pen of the late Edgar Wallace; it was the final performance of Norman McKinnel, whose brilliant work for the talking film industry has been so greatly admired. Also in the cast are Cathleen Nesbitt, Evelyn Williams, and Gordon Harker, who creates many a laugh as a sergeant in that great British institution, Scotland Yard. The story is one of an old family that has been inter-married until mental trouble has developed in succeeding generations. The one thing which overrides everything else is the necessity of carrying on the line, which traces its history back over 1000 years. This is the key to the whole story, and round it has been constructed a story that provides some dramatic incidents. The story has a weird termination, and the conclusion may be reached that it ■was just as well the line ended when it did. The supports are particularly interesting and include Dickens’ London, a feature which will interest all devotees of this eminent writer, a New Zealand scenic picture of the Wanganui River, a lecturette on birds, a Newsreel and a British short subject.