STOLE SOCKS AND MONEY.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 18451, 30 April 1928, Page 11

STOLE SOCKS AND MONEY.

MAN CHARGED WITH CRIMES COMMITTED NINE YEARS AGO. The sequel to two burglaries committed nine years ago was enacted at the Ashburton Police Court on Saturday, before Mr F. W. Watt, J.P. and .Mr R. Clark, J.P., when John William * M’Clure, who was arrested in Auckland recently, was charged with having, on or about May 20, 1919, broken and entered the counting house of David Friedlander, in West Street, and stealing £34 13s, and with having, on the same date, broken and entered the High School and stolen therefrom a pair of socks valued at 2s Gd, the property of Mr W. F. Watters. David Friedlander, insurance inspector. Christchurch, said that at the time of the offence he was in business in Ashburton as an auctioneer. His office was securely locked when it was vacated on the evening in question, and the following morning he found that a window on the south side had been prized open and an entrance effected. The lock and catch on the strong-room door had been wrenched off, papers were in a state of disorder, and two cash boxes were lying open and broken. He found that over £3O had been stolen. An iron implement was found in the right-of-way. Accused (to witness) : I thought I got about £49. Do you agree with what the “ Guardian ” printed about the burglary ? Witness: I have no recollection of what was printed. Accused: I merely say this so asr to hurry up the proceedings. It doesn’t niatter what I say about this, as I am the laj'er of the information against myself, and I suppose the Court knows the case will have to go to the Upper George Young, janitor of the High School, said he locked up the school on May 20, 1919, and the following day found the science room open and other room doors showed marks of having been attacked by kn iron implement. l The window of the master's room had been forced from the outside. The drawers hack been taken out of the desks and emptied. In the mistress’s room he found a pair of well-worn socks. A pair of socks was missed. Acting-Detective Power, of Auckland, said that accused was arrested in- Wellington on a charge of breaking and entering at Auckland, and was before the Court early this month, when he made a voluntary statement setting out how he had broken and. entered the premises in West Street. He also entered a second office in that street but did not take anything away. He was then arrested and brought to Ashburton. To accused: Witness was aware that accused was convicted and discharged on a charge of stealing £l6O. He then said that in view of the fair treatment he had been given by the police he would clear up the 1919 -series of burglaries. Accused: I want all this cleared up so that there will be no suspicion resting on this man that he had anything to do with it. (Here he pointed to Mr Friedlander.) Accused went on into a rambling statement concerning his doings, and added that he was “ the layer of the charge, chief Crown witness, and everybody.” “ I can say a lot about this, your Worship,” he added. “ I can talk like a gramophone.” Accused said he did not mean to be insolent, but he wanted to say something. The Bench and the police thought the best thing accused could do would be to tell all he knew to the judge. This accused agreed to do, and after some hesitation entered a plea of guilty. “ To both charges? ” he was asked. “ Oh yes, I might as well, but I don't know what I wanted with a pair of socks. An electric torch would have been more to the point.” Accused was committed <to the Supreme Court in Christchurch for sentence.

He declared that he had already served seven and a half years.