FOR TRIAL AT ASSIZE
PRINCETOWN STATION BROKEN INTO
Thomas Sydney Wrayson, no fixed abode, was at Tavistock yesterday committed for trial at Devon Assize on a charge of breaking into the Great Western Railway offices Princetown on the night of October 15-16 and stealing a suit case and contents valued at £12, 69 packets of cigarettes 4s. 7d. in cash, man’s umbrella, and’ number of keys, the property of the Great Western Railway, the whole being of the total value of £14 10s.
Gilbert Jonathan Hext, ganger, said that in the morning he saw two windows had been broken, one being of the waiting-room and the other of the stationmaster’s office.
Joseph Shipton, stationmaster, said he found the place in much disorder. The ticket cabinet had been forced, and 35 season tickets between Princetown and Tavistock and some season tickets from Princetown to Plymouth were missing. They had since been recovered. Three shillings was also missed from the Burrator ticket-box, which was locked and ,the key hanging from it. Two locked drawers in the table had been forced, and a number keys were missing. He estimated the damage to the station at 25s.
William Stanley Johnstone, Ship Inn Albeston, near Bristol, manager of the Duchy Hotel, Princetown, identified the suit case as his property. He missed from it a shirt and some handkerchiefs.
Constable Tucker, of Princetown, deposed that he saw accused at Plymouth, and he admitted that had been selling cigarettes which said he had received up country. He then took some small packets from his pocket and put them on the charge-room desk, saying: “I got them from the booking-office at Princetown ” Accused said if he went an address in Octagon-street he would find the suit case. Wrayson also gave information which enabled witness to recover most of the missing property.
Western Morning News – Tuesday 28 October 1930
