BREAKING AND ENTERING.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 3200, 22 April 1911, Page 5

BREAKING AND ENTERING.

ACCUSED WITH A LOADED REVOLVER. PLEADS GUILTY, AND IS COMMITTED FOR SENTENCE. Thomas Leonard Easten, alias Willie Wilson, was charged before the Hon. Captain Tucker, J.P., and Captain Chrisp, J.P., at the Magistrate’s Court, yesterday, with breaking and entering the hut of John McKay, on April 10th, and stealing £3 5s in money. . Detective Connolly prosecuted, and accused was not represented by counsel . John McKay, a laborer, said that on April 10th he left home about 8 a.m., and securely locked his hut before leaving for work. He met the accused on the road as lie was going to work, and he stopped witness and asked him what time it was, and witness told him it was a quarter past eight. The accused continued along the road in the direction of witness’s hut. About half an hour later witness returned to his hut, and he saw accused walking away. On making investigations witness found a pane of glass had been taken out of his window, and everything inside the whare was upside down. The sum of £3 5s had been stolen from the pocket of his coat, which was hanging on the wall. The money consisted .of three single notes, two two-sliilling pieces, and a shilling, and it was contained in a purse, which was afterwards found under the bunk. Constable Pratt said that in consequence of a message received from Tiniroto stating that a roadman’s hut had been broken into he proceeded to Ahimanu, and examined the hut. Entrance had been effected by a windowpane which had been removed, and the string which held the catch had been cut and the window opened. Constable Dandy said that he arrested accused at Te Arai on April 11 at 4.15 p.m. He charged accused. with the offence, and accused asked him if lie (witness) had a warrant for his arrest. He replied that he had not, but as he suspected him he was going to arrest him on sight. He asked accused where he was going to, and lie said Gisborne. He said he came from the hills, pointing in the direction of Wae-renga-o-kuri. He told accused he was going to take him to Gisborne under arrest. Accused had a fully-loaded five-chambered revolver in his possession and a number of cartridges. He handed the revolver and cartridges to witness. Witness took accused to the Bridge Hotel, and in the presence of the licensee he searched him. He found three £1 notes (produced) and two 2s pieces. Accused admitted taking the money from the hut, and he told witness lie had spent the other shilling at a store at Te Arai. He tokl witness he had been in trouble before, and he was sorry he had had to return to his old ways. He had tried to get on the Public Works Department’s works, but was informed when he got there that he had to come back to Gisborne and put in his application there. He would plead guilty to the offence, as he did not have a chance when the money was found on him. Accused pleaded “guilty,” and was committed to the Supreme Court at Auckland for sentence.