THEFT OF DRESS.

Waikato Times, Volume 114, Issue 19011, 31 July 1933, Page 7

THEFT OF DRESS.

'ft' MAORI WOMAN IN COURT. PARCEL TAKEN BY MISTAKE. MAGISTRATE DISMISSES CHARGE. '■ | • ' t . Remarking that there was no real evidence of guilt,'Mr'S. L. Paterson, S.M., dismissed a charge of theft against a Maori woman, Ropgo Tanfe Pene, in the Hamilton Magistrate’s Court this morning. The charge concerned the alleged theft of a parcel containing a dress, valued at 355, the property, of Margaret Hall, of Horo*I tiu. - ' • Leslie Charles Morgan, who was aotlns-stationmaster at Hamilton on Saturday afternoon, stated, that accused gave him a parcel to be''placed on the express to Huntiy at 3 p.m., which she intended to join at Frankton. Beside her luggage on a seat at the station was a parcel, which accused said was not hers, but It was later found to be missing. Witness communicated with the police at Frankton, and the parcel was recovered. Sergeant Morlarty said he had approached three Maori women on Uho platform at Frankton and asked if they had taken the parcel. , Accused produced the parcel and said she had taken it by mistake. Senior-Sergeant J. J. Power mentioned that the, owner of the dress had come to ‘the Court to give evidence, but had suffered a heart at- , tack, and was indisposed. Unintentionally Taken. Counsel for accused, Mr W. J. King, submitted that the whole of the case had arisen from an innocent cause. Accused had come Into Hamilton to sell kumaras, and in some cases had received parcels* of clothing in payment. When slie left the Hamil'»ton stalion with these parcels some- ! r6ne had followed her with the parcel A involved in the case, and, under the impression that she had left It at the station, had given it to her. On arrival al Frankton she found she had an additional parcel that did not belong to her, ami had told her friends so.

Accused reiterated counsel’s remarks, and said she did not realise that she had the parcel until she reached Franlcton. The Magistrate said he was not satisfied that the parcel had been stolen, and the explanation given by aqcused was one that might be true.