"BURGLARY CHARGE TRIAL IS OPENED," Brantford Expositor. January 23, 1933. Page 11.
---
Firman De Palma Alleged to Have Been One of Quartet
----
A large crowd of spectators, that made the S. R. O. sign appear, heard an interesting case as the charge of burglary against Firman De Palma, Albion street was started in police court to-day. The man was charged with being one of four men, named in court as the accused. Gorden Lane, James Wright, jun., and Reginald Brown, who broke into the show window of the Dominion House Furnishings store situated at 87-89 Colborne street. This was late on the night of January 11.
Gordon Lane had already been charged and tried and is awaiting judgment. After a long hearing, Magistrate S. A. Jones deferred judgment for one week. Lane was brought back to give evidence for De Palma. Both men swore that Wright and Brown had the coals that were dropped near the Expositor office front steps when P. C. Roshier appeared in order to arrest the quartet. Brown and Wright got away. Max White, owner of the coats and proprietor of the Do- minion House Furnishings positively identified them as the four that were in his show case window that night.
De Palma's defense was that he was at home at the time of the robbery. He admitted being with the other three men that night but being "nearly drunk" had left the others at 10.45 p.m. and went home, falling at the Bell Memorial and cutting his hand. His mother band- aged his hand and he started downtown again at 12.30 p.m. and was arrested at the rear of the Bell Memorial.
Crown Attorney W. M. Charlton and A. H. Boddy went over the evening's doings very carefully. Witnesses were brought to swear that De Palma was downtown at the time he said he was in the house, Sergeant Sawkins arrested De Palma at 12.20 p.m. The mother and brother of the accused swore that accused did not leave the house on the second occasion until 12.30 p.m.
Asked why he ran away when confronted by P. C. Roshier who had been watching the suspicious actions of the four men, the accused said he was quite drunk and he did not want to face a charge of intoxication, as it would have been his third offense and pretty serious.
He said he left his home again at 12.15 p.m. against his mother's wishes and as he crossed the Bell Memorial grounds was arrested by Sergeant Sawkins. He had changed his coat when he came out. Why, he did not know, but he had been wearing his light overcdat when uptown in the first part of the night. His brother Romeo said that the dark coat Firman was wearing at the time of the arrest, was his.
Firman denied all knowledge of the robbery. He met Wright, and Brown running away from the scene and then at the side entrance to the Arcade met Lane and he had a drink. Both Brown and Wright had bundles which he thought were clothes. He came to the corner of Queen and Dalhousie streets with Brown, Wright and Lane. It was here he saw Roshier who had commandeered a car and jumped on the four men. He left hurriedly. going home and then coming out with his brother's coat on, ostensibly to get a cup of coffee.
During the evidence Magistrate Jones, trying to elucidate some evidence, asked the witness if he could read and write. The witness said he had been born in this country, but could not read or write. When asked whether he went east or west on this occasion the witness said he did not know which was east or west. When asked by the court, he knew London "was this way and Hamilton was that way" but he did not know which place was east or which was west.
Much evidence was heard, his worship reserving judgment for one week.
