TO-DAY'S COURTS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 12088, 17 August 1917, Page 5

TO-DAY'S COURTS.

POLICE CASES. (Before Mr T. A. B. Bailey. S.M.) DR.CXKEXXESS. Four first offenders, men, were each fined 5s for drunkenness. Henry Huggard, v.-ho had not been before tho Court for four months, was also fined os. Two women, who had not been before the Court for sis months, ivere convicted unci discharged. Another first offender, who had been taken ill and did not appear, was remanded till Monday. An elderly man. charged with helpless drunkenness at Oxford, was convicted and ordered to pay £1 expenses. VAGRANCY. William Vincent pleaded guilty to a charge of vagrancy in tha.t he had been found bv night in p. railway carnage without lawful excuse. He had eleven couvi'-tiens since January. He was sentenced to three months' imprisonment, i TRUANCY. C H. Wade was charged with failing to send his child to school, the girl, aged twelve years and seven months, having only passed the third standard. He was fined 10s and costs. G. M'Cabe, for fa/iline to send a boy to school, was fined 10s and costs. CHANGE OF ADDRESS. Henry West, Darline Hills (Mr Cassidy), charged with failinc to notify a change of address, produced rent receipts showing that he had moved on December 16 from North Avon Road. He admitted that in May his wire had shifted :12am while' he was in Ashburton looking for work. Ho was convicted and discharged. ALLEGED THEFT OF TIN. John (riifTon (Mr Donnelly) was charged on remand with the theft, on or about August 4, of loewt of fngot tin and 2cwt," of le r :d, valued at £'233 10s. the -property of some person unknown. Christopher Fottrell, painter, cave evidence, that he had known the accused, for some time and had painted his house. Griffen made a suggestion that hj» should handle any bargains that ho might have, saying that _ heknew many business meu who might havo bargains to dispose of. About three, weeks ago he said that such a. bargain was coming his way. but mentioned that he could rot hrndie it himself as it would not do to let Jiis firm know that he handled stuff _ that they dealt in. Griffen later mentioned that some ingot tin was coming, and ho agreed to handle it. but asked for de-taiis. as he knew nothing about values. Griffon stated that it was selling at '2s 8d a pound, and that if he got anvthing from 2s upwards it would pay him to sell it. suggesting that he should describe it as a bargain he had come across himself. Griffen tioned as a- probable buyer Mr Frank' A. Cook, indent agent, recommending a S3le in one lot. He saw Cook, who asked for a description, and he replied "Australian. Cook asked him to call age in and he would give a price. Griffen at 'that time had not knowin whether there was 10 or 15cwt, fcnU Cook had therefore quoted for 12cwt at £l3-1. This was approximately 2s n pound, and when it was reported to Griffen he said tho price would pay, but agreed to the suggestion that higher"' prices might- he tried for.Booth, Macdonald bad agreed to take. 2cwt at '2s od a pound, and suggested, at his request, that he could sell to Danks and Lyons. Dunks did not want any. but Lyons msisted on knowing the brand, stating that the material might be half lead. Ho thought then tlia.t the material was in Christohurch, but Griffin told him that it had not yet arrived, but was the best Australian. On Griffin's advice he communicated with Mason, Stnuhers, who agreed to take same at 2s '2d. less discount. On Thursday. August 2._ he went to Griffin's house, and Mrs.Griffin showed him the material lying in a. loose heap in the shed in ingots. There was also 2cwt of lead nails in kegs. On the following day, while. Griffin was at work, he visited the shed, a.nd with. Mrs Griffin's ajsistruice. classed the tin into the different brands, and weighedthem up roughly. The weight of (the ingots was 261b. 2(ilb and 1231b, and the whole weight was over loewt. On Saturday morning he took the whole lot to Lyons in Cambridge Terra.ce. Lyons was out, hut one of the employees asked the price. He quoted '2s 3d. a.nd came, down to 2s 2d. Lyons was telephoned to, but declined to fake any. He then drove on to Booth, Macdonald's. calling at Harris's. Mr Harris agreed to take 2cwt at '2s 2d, but inquired whose tin it was. He gave Harris to understand that- it was his own, but Harris asked for a better guarantee, and he gave his name and .address. Harris then declined to have. anvthin~ 'to do with it. A man named Thomas, who was standing at the door, heard the conversation, and said that he would take two ingots at the price, giving h\s address- He then went'to Booth.'Maedonaid's, but failed to find Mr li. Booth,. The tin was weighed, and he left his name and address, as the cashier "as out and "lie could" not get..a cbequ". He then went back uitb'th" tin to Coblestone to deliver two of tho ingots, winch were paid for. He then, for the first, time, became uneasy, and decided to tell Griffen that he was afraid he could not dispose of any more unless he could give better proof of the ownership. Ho sent the driver on to Ma'-on Struthors. and called on Griffen at Tavlor and Oakley's. When he toKl Griffen what had taken place at Harris's. Griffen said he thought such a difficulty might arise. He then advised Griffen to let the matter stand over for a week. He. then took the tin home, and was just, discharging the last portion when detectives arrived. They asked him if he knew it was nec.ssary to have a license to sell metal, and he replied in the negative. Thev told him that they knew he was all right, as the Chief-Detective had t-old tnem so. hut had advised them to look into the matter. He thereupon "q.ve them Griffon's name and address, stating that he was quite sure there was perfectly honest dealing. They met Griffen near his home and asked him about the tin. He replied that as far as he was concerned he had got it in a perfectly honest manner They then took him away, and he went on to G riff en's house. Later Detective Eade instructed him to go homo and get the material. Griffen had never told him where he got the tin, but had asked that his name, should not be mentioned, as it might injure him with his firm. Griffen had nor. referred him to Taylor and Oakley as purchasers. To Mr Donnelly: He still regarded Griffen as a most respectable man. He received no instructions about secrecy, except to conceal the name. J. W. Taylor of the firm of Taylor and Oakley, said that tho accused had been foreman in his employ for a. number of years. The tin was similar to what he stocked, being both English and Australian. He had few nails such as thoso recovered. Tho tin, in slock, would be under the charge of Mr Oakley, and would bo handed to Griffen to use as required. He could not say that "dny tin had been stolen from his factory, but it could be taken. He had never known Griffen to deal in tin or lead-headed nails. Griffen was a. shareholder in the company, the practice being that foroiren should hold a few shares. As foreman ho had been back frequently at night to work lately, but Mr Oakley, jun. had generally been with him. ,J] 0 was not supposed to use the firm's cart, but often took the horses down to graze. From tho manner in which some of the ingots had been cut and melted, he judged that they must have come from a factory. Tin was valued at 2s 3sd per lb lauded. To Mr Donnelly: Griffen had been working for the firm for twenty yeans, being for many years galvaniser, working among tin. Some of the tin was wretty old, and he would &ay that it. '

had been accumulating for years. He had nob stocked "Lamb and Flag" tin for three years. In the la sit year the amount of tin sent from the warehouse to the factory wa.s 17cwt 3qr. He thought there would be every opportunity of seeing whether the tin was being made away with. "R. S. M'Diarmid, blacksmith, employed by Copoor and Duncan, and formerly employed at Taylor and Oakleys, said that the ingots produced were similar to those used at the fnotory, and were cut similarly. He thought that Griffeu had control of the 1 in. ' To Mr Donnelly: Plumbers ' often came to buy tin from the factory, getting a pound or two at a. time. A. P. Dra.ytcn. warehouse- manager to Ashby, Bergh and Co., identified the ingots as similar to those stocked by Ins firm and supplied at times to Taylor and Oakley. Fifteen hundredweight would be a large order for someone not ill the trade. There was no scarcity of tine, and the price to-day was '}s 7d to merchants, and 2s 9d retail. Last Last August the wholesale price was Is 9i<l. Henry Oakley, of tha firm of Taylor and Oakley, gave evidence that latterly Griffin had had to come back to work, bur. was rarely if ever alone, but he had keys, as he was the first down in the morning. He thought that if the tiui had been stolen it must hare gone in. small lots, very hard of detection over a long timeTo Mr Donnelly: He could not identify the tin. Griffin had always, been trustworthy -a.nd reliable. He. had had no suspicon of Griffin. Detective Abbott said that Griff en had admitted that Fottrell was selling the tin for him. He told Griffen that he had reason to suppose, that it was stolen, and he should account for how he came by it. He replied " It'a ail right; but T don't see that I should fell you where I got it from. It is ';* natter of business " Later he offered to say at 3 o'clock where he got it. and on bemg told that this would not do he said "Well. I am not going to givp anyone away." On the way to the detective office he saio" that Mr O. Oakley would l>e able to satisfy him that it was all right. Later he rang " n\s Oakley's houae and a-sked for Mr 0. Oakiey saying "There are a couple of coves here, detectives, about some tin. You might go up and see the wife and tell her it is all right, and do what you can. You might see .Turn, off Papa ma Road. Come and see me at the dot. ;- tive office." He asked Griffen if Mr Oakley would bo able to say where vo goMhe tin, and he replied "No." He had made extensive enquiries but ba-r been unable to find a. claimant for the tin. Detective Eade also evideu.ee. Mr Donnelly submitit-ed that there was no prima, facie evidence on which to commit the accused for trial- Unless the theft- could be. proved, it was not sufficient to show that the goods belonged to some person, or persons unknown. The circumstances must point inevitably to the_fact of theft from Taylor and Oakley or anyone else. The Magistrate remarked that the accused would not account for the possession of the goeds. Afiber hearing further evidenco Griffin was committed for trial at tho Supreme Court. The bail was renewed.