EXTRAORDINARY CASE OF LARCENY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XVIII, Issue 5968, 3 January 1881, Page 3

EXTRAORDINARY CASE OF LARCENY.

Mii. Samckl Brov.t, the owner of. wry: extensive freehold property, in Shortlandstreet. Kort-street, iml other parts of the citv. was arrested on Bee. 21, on a charge o£ stealing from the premises of Jlr. Narte,. tinsmith, a nmnber of tin utensils. ;Tha circumstances are most extraordinary.- Mr.; Jsrow'n is an old man, about >•> years oLagc;. ami is an old colonist ;uul citizen. Sometime: •i"o i>ia conduct appeared' rather strange to ins'friends, and he has had epileptic fits; Recently.; he took a mania to fit up a small place in Hort-strect, and has. nearly : 'sne* eeeded in making it somewhat resemble .1 hi ion theatre. Theatres seem-. to Jnve been his mania. It. Was r_ he who put down the fonr.data.ons for.,,the thuitiv in Shortland-street, which. w.a.? never built, nnd which w;is ever, after knoivrt as "Brown's Folly." As regards the prfr? »ent case, it appears, that Mr. Waite nas been for some time past missing articles from his store, and he at length, suspecting the truu culprit,'obtained a search .warrant ; Mr. ! Brown was taken into custody about hoou. : '. on Tuesilay. Besides the tinware taken 7 From Mr. Waite, there was a very large lot of plated-silvor . forks, spoons, and: kijive&. .Several parcels of those have been identified: ))V Jlr Waters,- Mr.- Dallen, and -other. restaurant-keepers. The' defendant-was-admitted to bail onDecemoer 21, Messrs;- ■ Edward Lewis and M. : Montagpc entering fh(t :neccssaiy liail. onpeeeuiber2S; tbeacciisect ■ was brought uj) at tbeFoliCo Gdurt.' JDrs< iGoldsbro and '.KenJei^i' 1 ' 5 . had jbeen't ap'-", ipointc'd-.td inquire .'.into .the sanity v ,of" tup f accused. ..The medical o.f.jthes'ai g,entlcm,enwere'tJieu putfiu, ?nd ,'wei-e-±o.±hfi' : effect that the accused was unfit to manage his own affairs. The accused was sent to jjaol for safe keeping (the certificates to be forwarded to the Colonial Secretary), pending instructions .from the Government.