CHARGE OF THEFT.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LV, Issue 14016, 22 September 1909, Page 3

CHARGE OF THEFT.

LAN OLD OFFENDER AG.tIN IN TROUBLE.

DKINK AND CHIME. A middle aged man named John Alexander Angus, alias Johnston, ahaa ritewart, who nas a record of sixteen previous convictions for various olrences, was brought before Mr. Ji. -fc>. i< ltzherberc, S.J.U., this morning on three charges of thefts from dwellings. Angus was only recently released from a long sentence in the Auckland gaol, ana uunng the past seven -days has been sojourning in the New Plymouth gaol, through his having been found illegally on premises. The charges laid against accused were (1) thett from the Criterion Hotel of an overcoat valued at £3 ss, the property of John M'Kean,. the licensee of the hotel ; (2) theft from the White Hart Hotel of three rugs and a sack, valued at 30s. the property of Arthur Clarke and (3) theft from the dwelling of Thomas Walsh of a silk scarf valued at 63, the property of Walter Taylor Goddard. Sergeant Haddrell, who prosecuted, stated that the charges of theft from dwellings had been laid instead of charges of single theft, on account, of accused's previous record. The evidence showed that on the morning of Monday, the 13th inst., Mr.- M'ivcan missed from a passage way in his hotel his overcoat, but founc another dilapidated garment, that had its pockets sewn uj) with string, in its place. Mr. M'Kean next saw his coat in the possession of the police. J-le saw accused that afternoon at the back of his hotel, where he found hiir eating smoked schnnpper and 'chops he had taken from a meat safe. On the same Monday morning accused went to W. Jury's slables and accosted a groom named Thomas Stewart, offering to sell to the latter for 10s the coal that Mr. M'Kean had missed. vStewart asked accused if he had stolen the. coat, but Angus replied, "No," addir.: that he had bought it in Auckland for £2 103. Stewart then bought the coat paying 5% and afterwards handed it over to Constable Mivor. After being arrested Angus denied all knowledge of this- coat, but claimed as his the one that Mr. M'Kean had found in place of his own. Accused said he had left his coat in some hotel, probably in the- Criterion. With regard to the rugs stolen from the White Hart Hotel, ib was shona in evidence that they belonged to a day porter at that hotel, named Arthur Clarke. They i belonged to Clarke's bed which was in i a room in a cottage adjacent to the hotel bu.ilding. Clarke missed the rugs on the evening of the 14th inst. He also missed a-sack, which bore certain letters by which it could bo identifies. On the same evening, at 9 o'clock, accused went to the premises of W. 1 weerJale, a second-hand dealer in Powderham Street and tried to sell to the latter the rugs that were missing from the hotel. Tweedale refused to buy them; but allowed Angus to leave the "swag" in an outbuilding for the night. Angus said he had come to New Plymouth to seek fotf work, and asked for a shilling to get a bed for the night with. Tweedale gave him this. Afterwards he handed the-.swag over to Detective Boddam.- ■ On the same day on which the blankets were taken a boarder at the Rarawa boarding house, in Silver Street, mtesedfrom a hat peg in the hall' of the house a silk scarf belonging to him. Accused had breakfast at- the boarding house on the samo morning. The scarf was found in the possession of the accused when he was: arrested on the charge for which he was last week imprisoned. Angus had , also . been seen by" 'three, police officers" carrying a sack similar to the one stolen, with something rolled up in it. '. Soon after the hearing of the charges had been commenced Angus saicl he wished to plead guilty to 6ave trouble. Tho charges being indictable ones, however, he could not plead until the evidence against him had been heard. He had no questions to ask the witnesses. . - ■ Accused said he, "wanted" to iiia/fo just a bit of a statement. ' He Vfls pleading guilty to the chareed. lie was coming down, from the Waiotapu .tree planting camp after "doing' a sentence, and-wh'en ho came to Erankton Junction "the stationmaster tbqre told him that his (accuseds) son had been killed at Paeroa on August 2. His son had been employed on the railways for six or seven years. Through that accused "took a drop of drink." He was advised to consult a lawyer w^th regard t<6 his son's property, his son, a single man. not having left a will, and having had . some dealings with Mr. Weston he came to New Plymouth to put the matter in his hands. His Worship : You didn't think this was your sons-- property you were collecting about the town, did you? Accused: No, your Worship, I don't suppose I did. " --..., Continuing; his statement, accused said he wasdrinking hard, all the way coming through ("a prohibition country," interjected his Worship) nnd never remembered coming to New Plymouth. "That's all," concluded accused. "It's no use occupying the Court," meaning that as he had to go to the Supreme , Court it was no use troubling his Worship further. ' Accused formally guilty, and was committed to the Supremo Court at Wanganui for sentence.