AUDACIOUS THIEF

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLII, Issue 20512, 2 September 1936, Page 8

AUDACIOUS THIEF

A PIANO CARRIED OFF Bv fplet’raph Pres- Association CHRISTCHURCH. September 1. Earl Oswald Anderson, aged 21 years, does not lack audacity. Enlisting the services of a carrier by a plausible story, he coolly entered a private residence in broad daylight, and removed a piano, intending to sell it later. His other offences included a false statement that he was a detective, the theft and conversion of a car and a motor cycle. Anderson appeared before Mr Levvey in the Magistrate’s Court to-day. He was convicted on the summary cha-ges and remanded for sentence on the other charges. He pleaded guilty, and was committed to the Supreme Court for sentence. Chief Detective Dunlop said that on the afternoon of August 11, Anderson took possession of a car at Riccarton and brought it into town, and asked a garage attendant to replace the tyres with low pressure tyres. The attendant removed the tyres, and placed them on the floor of the garage. Later accused returned, collected the tyres, and took them away and sold them. Four tyres and two tubes of a value of £ll/10/had been recovered. Chief-Detective Dunlop asked that Anderson should be remanded for sentence till to-morrow, as five other similar charges, committed in Dunedin, would have to be taken into consideration. Anderson was convicted and remanded until to-morrow morning for sentence. Evidence was then heard on the indictable offences. Irena Alleyne said that on the afternoon of August 20, she went out locking the front door, and shutting the back door, which would not lock. When she returned the back door was open and the piano was missing. Robert A, Hartley, carrier, said on August 20, accused asked witness

whether he could remove a piano for him, in addition to taking some other things from Bealey Avenue. Witness agreed, and when the accused drove his car to Derby Street, he followed with the lorry. “On arrival at the place I backed the lorry in, and followed him into the back door,” said Hartley. “He opened the door and asked me to follow him in. We picked up a piano, went through the front door, and loaded it on the truck. Accused said the piano was to be taken to a piano firm. The name he gave was either Baker or Barker. I am not sure which.” The Chief Detective: And instead of the accused being there, who did meet you?—Two detectives. Anderson pleaded guilty to each charge and was committed to the Supreme Court for sentence.