POLICE COURT.-Yesterday.

Thames Advertiser, Volume IX, Issue 2462, 4 November 1876, Page 3

POLICE COURT.-Yesterday.

(More Dr KnGot'it, J.P,)

Bubguiiy.—Thomas Jones and Patrick Bedford were brought up on remand charged with having broken into the premises of Edward McDonnell, and stolen therefrom 2s 9d cash and duty stamps to the value of Is sd.—Mr Bullen opened the case, stating that the evidence would be similar to that given in the former case. He called Edward McDonnell, who deposed: lam a produce dealer carrying on business at the Beach, Grahamstown. My store contains a large quantity of produce. My_ office is inside the store. I sleep in a building adjoining the store, but there is no internal communication between the two. I recollect the evening of Tuesday, the 31st ultimo. I left the store about 6 o'clock, and locked the doors. Tho windows were all closed, and the store securely fastened up. I returned to the store at half-past 6 next morning. I found a large pane of glass broken in the top sash of the front window. I wont into tho office, and missed some small coins which I had left in the till tho night before, and also some papers. I cannot say exactly the full amount taken, but I was under the impression there was 43 or 5s worth of small coins. On further search I missed some penny receipt duty stamps such as thoao produced. They were taken from beside a pigeon-hole, where they were hanging by one corner. I cannot say exactly the number taken, but it was something like the quantity produced. In fact, I am almost positive those are the stamps, from the manner in which they were torn off. I do not recognise the prisoner Bedford, but I saw Jones in my storo on the 31st ullinio, I do not think he had any businoss, but he was with a man named McKenzie who was paying me some monoy. I had been out, and they were both in the storo when I came back. Ho saw McKenzie pay me the money. Tho pane broken was the only one which was not protected by iron bars, and the bars could not be seen from the outside.—Detective Brennau deposed: I recollect having the prisoner Jones in custody on the Ist instant- on another charge. In consequence of a statement he made, I accompanied Mr Bullen and tho prisoner to Bedford's house. The box produced (a small cash-box) was on the table, and Mrs Bedford gave mo the key. The box was locked. I opened it, and found in the box the small coins produced, consisting of three sixpences, three fourpenny pieces, and two threepenny pieces, and the pocket box produced, in the pocket of which I found 17 duty receipt stamps. Mrs Bedford said the pocketbook belonged to her husband, and that she took the key of the box out of his pocket that morning. Hearing of this robbery, I examined Mr McDonnell's premises. I found that a large pane in the upper part of the front window had been broken, and there were boot marks on the sill of the window. The prisoner Jones made a statement to me respecting this robbery as well as that at Stone Brothers' place. Ho made it voluntarily without any promise or threat from me. The document produced is the statement, he made. [Statement read, same as Jones' evidence yesterday.] The portion of the statement which had reference to was to the effect that, after parting with Copland, Bedford and he wont along the Beach road, and when they came opposite the corn store Bedford said they might get something in there; there was no one.sleeping there; and if Jones went in, he would remain outside and watch and whistle as a signal. Bedford lifted Jones up, and he broke the pane of glass and got in. He searched tho till and found some coins and the stamps, which were hanging on the wall. He came out again through the window. Bedford asked him if he had got to tho safe. He said "No;'' 5 and they then went together to Bedford's house, and told Mrs Bedford they had been to the hay and com store. After remaining some time they went to Stone, Brothers. The statement was signed by Jones.—Thomas Jones, the prisoner, gave evidence similar to that given in the previous case, and corroborated tho statements contained in the document which had been read. He was in tho store during the day, haviug been called in by a man named MeKenzie, whom ho know in Tairua. He saw McKenzie gives McDonnell a cheque. In the evening, when Bedford and ho were passing this store, Bedford told him to go in and see what he could.gct. Ho said ho would lift him up to the top window while he (Jones) got in. Bedford lifted him up, and he got in. It was agreed that Bedford was to watch outside and whistlo if any one was coming. Jones went direct to tho till in tho office, from which ho took all the small change it contained. It consisted of sixpenny, threepenny, and fourpenny pieces, but ho did not know how much it amounted to in all. He also took the stamps which ho found up against tho wall. 'I hat was all ho took. When ho came out he fouud Bodford just underneath tho window. Bedford asked him if he had got into the safe, and ho told him he had not. He did not see a safo in tho office. He had no light. They then went together to Bedford's houso, which was clos'o by, and ho gavo

tic money and stamps either to Mrs Bedford or Bedford. They were put in the small box produced, but he could not tell by which of • them, for Bedford and his wife' were together, There was nothing else said about the stamps and money that night, but he told Mrs Bedford where he got them from. Ho knew there was a threepenny bit in tho box before tho money he took from McDonnell's was put into it, for he saw it there during the day. After, giving up tho money and stamps, Bedford and he went and committed the robbery at Stone's place.—The evidence in the case of the robbery from Stone Brothers' warehouso, as well as in this second case, were then read over, and tho prisoners being cautioned io. the usual manner, Bedford reserved his defence, and Jones said he had nothing to say. Both wero then fully committed to take their trial on the two charges at the next criminal sittings of the Supreme Court.