THE KAITI BURGLARY.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2490, 1 May 1909, Page 5

THE KAITI BURGLARY.

ACCUSED BEFORE THE COURT,

HE GUILTY AND WAS REMANDED FOR SENTENCE.

. At tlie Magistrate’s Court yesterday morning John Wilson, a young man, appeared before Mr W. A. Barton, S.M., charged with breaking and entering the house of Mr. W F. Cederwail at Rutene Road on Thursday night. The accused was undefendecl. ■. ; -Sergeant Hutton prosecuted and called Edith Holden, domestic in the employ of Mr W. F. Cederwall, who said that at about half-past four on Thursday afternoon she left the house to go out. All the windows and. doors were locked. There -was no 'one in the house when she left. She returned Lome at about 9.45 p.m. with Mr Albert Jones.' She went into the house by the hack door, and heard a noise in the scullery. Mr Jones went to the scullery and found the accused there. Jones asked the prisoner what he was doing there, and he replied that b© was looking for a night’s lodgings. Witness then rang ur> the police. The scullery window was open, and the scullery door had been burst open. She found a billy can and kit that did not belong to the house. Albert Jones, carpenter, living at Gisborne, said that with the last witness ho went to Mr CedenvalPs house on Thursday night. He entered tiro house by the hack-uo’or. He heard a noise in the scullery. He lit the gas and on going to the scullery found the accused there. Witness asked the accused what he was after, and he replied that he had knocked at the door, and getting no answer, got through the window, and ho was looking for a night’s lodging. Witness kept him until the police arrived. William F. Cederwall, General Manager of the Gisborne Sheepfarmers Freezing Company, and residing at Rutene "Road, Haiti, said he returned to his house shortlv after 10 o’clock on Thursday night. He saw.the accused in charge of tne police. He identified a book, cigarettes, two knives, a .pencil and a handkerchief as his property. The articles were left in different rooms in the house. The articles were perhaps valued at two shillings. He gave no person authority to remove them. Detective Rawle said that just before 10 o’clock on Thursday night he, with Sergeant Hutton, went to Mr Ceder-v.-ail’s house in Rutene Road, K-aiti. On going inside the house he saw the accused and the witness Jones standing near the scullery door. The accused was taken into the kitchen, and on searching him he found the articles identified by Mr Cederwall. The sealery window was open and just beneath it on thte outside was a bag of lime, such as would be used to assist a person to get through the window. The lock of the scullery door had been forced and the bolt in the lock was still shot. The billycan and hag produced were found and the accused said they were his property. On being told the charge, the accused said: “Can t I apologise to the master,” and said he was looking for lodgings. The sum or -Scd was found upon him. He claimed the money as his own. The accused did not appear to have been drinking, but was somewhat simple. He had no knowledge of the prisoner, who afterwards said he was on his way to Tokoraaru to look for work. . . _ j The accused said it was his first- otfence. He went to the house with tne hope of getting a night’s rest. He had nowhere else to go. The accused signed Ins statement, as John Williams and not Wilson. The accused pleaded guilty to tne charge, and was committed to the Supreme Court- for sentence.