WOMAN’S CHARGE OF THEFT FAILS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17758, 30 January 1926, Page 19

WOMAN’S CHARGE OF THEFT FAILS.

BOND STREET JEWELLER ACCUSED OF STEALING 10S FROM HAND BAG. (Special to the " Star.”) LONDON, December 8. An extraordinary story of a woman’s accusation of theft in a theatre against a member of a well-known West End firm of jewellers was told at Bow Street Police Court yesterday. Mr Philip Asprey, thirty-one, silversmith, 165, New Bond Street, eYVst, was charged on remand before Mr YVilberforce with stealing a 10s note from a handbag belonging to Mrs Lena Charlton at the Alhambra Theatre, Leicester Square. When the case came before the Court last week, it was adjourned on the application of the defending solicitor, who saicl there was a lot of investigation which would have to be done. Mr Asprey was now defended by Sir Edward Marshall Hall. K.C., and Mr St John Hutchinson. Mr Herbert Mus-

kett watched the case on behalf of the jxilice. Mrs Charlton, a young woman, said that she was living apart from her husband in Calthorpe Street, Grey’s Inn Road, YV.C. She was being kept by a man now living abroad, whose name she refused to give. On Saturday, November 28, she attended a matinee performance at the Alhambra Theatre. She sat alone in the dress circle and placed her handbag on a vacant seat on her right. She. ordered tea, and on reaching for her bag to pay for it, she saw Mr Asprey withdrawing his hand from it. lie was sitting immediately V> e Find the vacant seat. Her bag and the purse inside were both unfastened, and she discovered that a 10s note was missing from the purse. GIY’EN INTO CUSTODY. Mrs Charlton said she turned to Mr Asprey, and before she could say anything a woman sitting with him said, “She has lost her money.” She (Mrs Charlton) then said, “Y'es. I will have the 10s note you have taken from my bag.” Mr Asprey replied, “What note have I taken?” and when she told him it was a 10s note he said, "You won’t get it.” Mr Asprey’s worqan friend went for the manager, and they all adjourned to the office. A policeman was sept for and she- (Mrs Charlton) gave Mr Asprey into custody. Mr Asprey, in reply to the charge, said: “All I can say is that I am not guilty.” At Y’ine Street he took from his pocket a wallet containing a lot of correspondence. At one end of the wallet there was a wad of notes, and at the other end there was a 10s note folded in four, as she always folded her notes. Cross-examined by Sir Edward Marshall Hall, Mrs Charlton said that she was married at Liverpool in 1919. Sir Edward: YY T hat do }-ou do for a living?—l am being kept. Who gave you this 10s note—l don’t see why I should answer that. YY’hat xyas it given you for?—Why should I say ? WOMANS CHARGE FAILS. CONYHCTIONS. Sir Edward then suggested that she was a woman of a certain class, and asked if she had been eonxicted on more than one occasion. Mrs after some hesitation, rejjlied that she had. Sir Edward: Do you frequent the Alhambra?--Not x’ery much. Mrs Charlton agreed that when the manager asked Mr Asprey and his friend if the police should Tje called they said “ Y'es.” Sir Edward: Have you ever been convicted for stealing?- Why should I Mr Wjlber force said that she had to answer the question, and she replied: •• Yes—twice.” Sir Edward Marshall Hall: You know now that this young man is a member of the firm of Aspreys, Ltd, one of the. biggest firms of jewellers in London? Y'es. A man with a large income and good position. Do you suggest that he stole 10s from your bag?—Certainly, because I saw his hand being withdrawn from my bag. Mrs Charlton added that when the assistant manager of the theatre offered to take the names of the parties and investigate the matter she replied: “I don’t want names; I want ray 10s note.” Inspector Cooper, who took the charge at Y’ine Street, stated that when telling her story at the station Mrs Charlton said that when she first accused Mr Asprey of taking her note he replied ” T haven’t got. it.” Mr Asprey had in his possession a wallet containing three £1 notes and two 10s notes. One of the 10s notes was separated by some correspondence, but it was lying flat and was not folded. NO FOUNDATION FOR CHARGE. Sir Edward Marshall Hall: When a charge of that kind is .meXeucd bv a

private individual you have no optior but. to accept it?—No. Mr Wilberforce said that however unreasonable the charge he thought there should be a formal denial on oath before it was disposed of. Giving evidence on his own behalf Mr Asprey said that he was educated at a public school, and served in. the Army, receiving the Military Gross. There was not a word of truth in the suggestion that he put his hand in Mrs Charlton's bag. Mr YVilberforce, in ordering the case to be dismissed, said that no stain rested upon Dir Asprey’s character. Even a woman of bad character might be robbed, but in this case there seemed to be no foundation for the charge. Sir Edward Marshall Hall said that the case had caused intense pain to a large number of persons, but lie wanted to make it clear that he made no attack whatever on the police. They merely did their duty in the matter. “ This charge,” Sir Edward went on. “ was taken on Saturday afternoon, and in 1 The Daily Mail ’ on Monday morning, before any charge had, in fact, been brought before you, there was a paragraph giving the fact that a man had been charged with this theft at the Alhambra and that he was to be brought up at Bow Street. I am pointing that out as showing that there is some leak somewhere of facts which ought never to be public property until they come before you in the ordinary way.” Mr Wilberforce : Do vou want me to say anything about that matter? Sir Edward: I merely mention it. Mr Wilberforce: Then perhaps thore who recorded tT. ? other incident will ic cuid this one too.