A MEAN THEFT.

Wanganui Herald, Volume LIII, Issue 15933, 29 September 1919, Page 5

A MEAN THEFT.

TAKING FLOWERS FROM ESPLANADE. MAN FINED. At the Magistrate’s Court this morning, before Mr Wyvern W/ilson, S.M., a man named Percy Codling, a borough employee, plpaded guilty to a theft of flowers valued at 2s from the Wanganui Bast Esplanade. Mr Tucker, the Borough gardener, gave evidence to the effect that nearly ali the blooms had been taken by various persons this season. To his Worship: Accused had taken the' flowers to put on the grave of a friend who had died. Constable Riordan, who had been sent to watch the gardens, said that, at about seven o’clock on Sunday morning, September 21st, he caught accused red-handed taking the flowers. Accused gave the constable a wrong name, and told him that ho had permission from the Borough gardener to take the blooms. His Worship said this was a mean theft, and he did not believe a word of the man's story. If it had been genuine he would have told the constable this when arrested. A fine of 20s and costs was inflicted.