The Birkenhead News and Wirral General Advertiser. — 1917-05-02 (Birkenhead, Merseyside, England)

RUINED.  Pollee Court Proceedings. r:irken head Constable Fined 85 7-ledger Charged with Murders  I At the Borough Relice Court yesterday—. !before Mr. T. L. Do lids (in the choir) and !Alderman G. A. Solll,y—a case of a rather. unusual character pas heard. A Police'. • constable named Mikrtin Hughes. Larch' *road, Was charged oilt two counts of receivsnç goods, a$ on a third charge of jointly stealing. 'lle charges were as follows;—With Harold Matthews, Minn road, an assistant sampler at the clocks. stealidg albs. of raining., value 25., the property of Mesere. &tinnier, Carole and Co., Ltd., on the 29th, ult.; also Hughes was charged with receiving the said raining well knowing them to have been stolen; further with receiving 1;lbs. of sugar stolen by. George Thoudss May, a ship's steward in the employ of Messrs. Lampert :and Holt* LK. oh ths• same date. All the prisoners •pleaded guilty.' • Inspector Birch stated that at a quarter to three on Friday last he searched .the prisoner Hughes at the police office just as he was coining off duty from the docks. On feeling down prisonor's great-coat pocket on the right-hand side witness felt something very bulky, and •took hint into the inspector's office, tellink him to pull the things out. Prisoner then produced the packet of raisins from his pocket. Witness said to prisoner "Whore did you get : this from?" and at the same time Cautioned him, and prisoner replied "From a I young man in the currant shed." Witness! • then took prisoner down to the shed at the! Morpeth Dock, where he (prisoner) pointed' out Matthews as the youth who gave hint the raisins. The Inspector said. to MatI thews "This dicer says you gave him this parcel of raisins to-day. Is that right?"' and Matthews replied "Yes, he 'came down the shed and asked me for some. and I I gave him n. packet." Hughes said "Yea, I asked him for them." Witness then asked Matthews if he had any authority to I give these things away, and he replied "No." On arresting the prisoners on Monday night and charging them Matthews, said "Hughes took the parcel of his accoed," and Hughes said "I did not think I 'was stealing; they were given to me." Walter A. Catterall, warehouseman in the employ of Rimmer. Cursie and Co., said that Matthews had been with them for about eight months, and had no authority to give these raisins away. Mr. Matthews, father of the prisoner Matthews, appeared greatly distressed, and said *kis son was just about to go into the Army. He appealed to the Bench for lenienliy on behalf of his son. The prisoner Matthews said he happened to hare a sample over, and Hughes came up to him and asked him for some raisins, but witness told him he might get into trouble, saying "You might get me six months." He then told Hughes he could * have it, and he took it. : The Chairman said that the charge • against Matthews was made out. Inspector Birch in respect to the theft of sugar stated that Hughes produced a tin which w.as full of sugar, and told witness that the prisoner May gave it to him. May said that Hughes came aboard the vessel he was. on and asked him for a bit of sugar, and he (May) gave him some, thinking he iranted to make a cup of tea. Mr. Cecil Wolden, who appeared on behalf of Hughes, said he had been in the force for 13 years, and had an excellent character. He was a widower with three sung children to look after. He (Mr. Holden) ask•rd the magistrates to exercise as much lenisincy as possible, and not send his client to prison. Hughes had expressed his ;profound regret to the Chief •, Constable for his transgression. ; The Chairntan, after some deliberation. • said that in Matthews' case they would take his youth into consideration, and it ought to be a lesson to him, and n fine of 20s. would be imposed. Hughes was in a position of trust. aud but for his excellent • precious character and other circumstances they would have sent hint to prison, but he vieuld have to pay a fine of .e 2 10s. on each charge—. 23 in all—and May 20s, •