A Curious Case.

Oamaru Mail, Volume XXIII, Issue 7371, 19 November 1898, Page 4

A Curious Case.

A rather curious case of alleged larceny ■was investigated in the Magistrate's Court at Timaru. On the night of the Prince of Wales' Birthday a man went to a boardinghouse for a bed, and to make room for him a youog woman boarder gave up her room, forgetting that she had placed her purse, containing LlO odd, under the pillow. When she got: tip in tbe morning, man and parse were both gone, and, as the man was unknown, the police were communicated with. About half-past eleven, the man returned, and delivered up the purse. Baying he had taken it by mistake for his own. He explained that he was drink when he went to bed, and only pat off boots and coat, and lay down on the bed, and later on got under the clothes. In the morning he saw the purse in tbe bed, and, supposing it was his own (which it did resemble somewhat) he put it in hi 3 pocket. He left the house early because he was ashamed of himself ; he ought to have been at home. He went to a friend's and had another nap, and afterwards counted his money, to see bow much he had wasted the day before. He then found that he had two purses. After consulting his friend as to what he should do, he harried back to the house to give np the purse, and while there was arrested. There was a litt'e difficulty introduced because the amonnt in the purse was 15s leas than it oaght to be, but accused ■wore positively that ho had not abstracted a penny of it. The Bench accepted this explanation as reasonable, and dismissed tho cbarg«.—Lytuiton Times,