CHARGE OF THEFT

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 76, Issue 106, 8 May 1933, Page 6

CHARGE OF THEFT

CASE FOR SUPREME COURT NO WHITE GLOVES FOR JUDGE. Charged with having attempted to steal the sum of £6 from the Merewether Co. at Wanganui on the night of April 13, Henry Daniel Gudsell pleaded not guilty at the Magistrate’s Court on Saturday morning. Mr. J. H. Salmond, S.M., presided. Gudsell was represented by Mr. A. D. Brodie and elected to be dealt with by the Supreme Court to sit at Wanganui to-day week. This will be the only criminal case to be brought before the Chief Justice, Sir Michael Myers, who would otherwise have been presented with a pair of white gloves. Detective J. Walsh conducted the case for the police, and called James Patrick Smithies, an employee *of the Merewether Motor Co., to give evidence.

Smithies said that on the night of April 13 he was having his supper at about 9 p.m. when he saw Gudsell enter the adjacent room. Gudsell walked up to a drawer where cash to be used for change was kept and attempted to open it. Failing to do so he left the room and walked smartly out to the entrance of the garage. Witness said he ran after Gudsell and called to him twice, Gudsell taking no notice. He caught up to Gudsell and told him to return to the office with him. Gudsell refused and a scuffle followed after which the two men went back to the office.

When Smithies took up a telephone book to ring the police, Gudsell ran out again but was overtaken at the entrance. Smithies called to a boy passing on a bicycle to ring the police and returned to the office with Gudsell. the police arriving shortly afterwards when they took him to the station. Questioned regarding Gudsell’s condition. Smithies said the man was slightly intoxicated. He had seen him in the garage twice before when he had borrowed 5s 3d and 4s 9d, giving an 1.0. U. on the Patriotic Society. Smithies had taken the money from the drawer which was then left unoppn. After the sum of £2 13s had been taken from it on April 3, it was kept locked. Evidence was also given by Caspar A. Danielson, of the Farmers’ Co-op erative Distributing Co., that ’e had seer Smithies struggling with a man and had been asked to ring the police. Smithies said that Gudsell had been “ratting the till.” Detective Walsh said he had seen Gudsell at the police station at about 10 p.m. on the same night and while defendant had had some liquor he was by no means drunk. His demeanour was quiet and he denied having been on the premises of the Merewether Motor Co. by day or by night. The reason for his being in Ridgway Street was that he had called to see a man named -Donaldson at the Farmers’ Coop. No questions were asked by Mr. Brodie.