Florence Myrtle COUBROUGH [10046]

  General Notes:

Mirror (Perth, WA : 1921 - 1956) Sat 8 Feb 1941 Page 7 CEMETERY THEFT IS ALLEGED
CEMETERY THEFT IS ALLEGED
Mrs. Sarah Margaret Disckerson (42),and Mrs. Florence Myrtle Bodger (36), represented by Mr. D. Walsh, pleaded not guilty to a charge that at Karrakatta between January 25 and 30, they stole one pottery vase valued at 7/6 the property of Ivy May Hannah, and also that they received the said property well knowing it to have been stolen.

They were remanded for 8 days by Mr. F. M. Read In the Perth Police Court.

The West Australian (Perth, WA : 1879 - 1954) Fri 31 Jan 1941 Page 11 SISTERS ARRESTED.
SISTERS ARRESTED.
Stealing from Graves Alleged.
Numerous complaints have been made to the Fremantle police recently of thefts of vases, hardliners and other objects from graves in the Fremantle cemetery. Yesterday afternoon, Detective Winning arrested Sarah Margaret Dickerson, of Stirling-street, Perth, and Florence Myrtle Bodger, of Pier-street, Perth, and charged them with having stolen a quantity of hardliners and vases, the property of the Fremantle Cemetery Board. The two women, who will appear in the Fremantle Police Court this morning, are sisters. Both are married.

The West Australian (Perth, WA : 1879 - 1954) Fri 14 Feb 1941 Page 16 POLICE COURTS.
POLICE COURTS.
PERTH.
(Thursday.--Before Mr. F. M. L Read. S.M.)
Cemetery Thefts.-Sarah Margaret Dickerson (42) and Florence Myrtle Bodger (36) faced eight charges of stealing and two of unlawful possession in respect of 27 Hardliners, rose bowls and vases stolen from the Karrakatta Cemetery. The articles were found in a city auction mart during Investigations by detectives subsequent to the two women having been bound over at the Fremantle Court in connection with thefts of similar articles from the Fremantle Cemetery. Counsel for accused (Mr. F. Curran) pleaded for leniency because the offences had been committed prior to the accused being bound over at the Fremantle Court. He said that the husbands of the two women were on the basic wage and their respective families numbered eight and seven. Describing the offence as despicable, the Magistrate imposed a fine of £1 on each charge, and remarked. "If the police had not found the vases. I presume you would have collected the money."

The Daily News (Perth, WA : 1882 - 1950) Thu 13 Feb 1941 Page 16 WOMEN STEAL FROM CEMETERY
Women Steal from Cemetery
Four times two women visited the Karrakatta Cemetery and stole rose bowls, vases and hardliners which they took to an auction mart.

Detectives found 27 of the articles, still unsold in the mart. They questioned the women who admitted the thefts.

In the Perth Police Court today 42-year-old Sarah Margaret Dickerson and 36 year-old Florence Myrtle Bodger pleaded guilty to four charges of stealing and one of unlawful possession.

-Mr. F. Curran (for the women) said that Bodger and Dickerson were bound over on a similar charge at Fremantle on January 31. As the offences which they now admitted had been committed before they were bound over he hoped that the Bench would not estreat their bonds.

Both women were married to husbands on the basic wage and had large families, Mr. Curran said. Detective Sergeant Smith said that when he questioned the women at Fremantle they did not tell him of the articles in the mart.

Magistrate F. M. Read said that if Dickerson and Bodger had told the police everything when they were first questioned he would have been more inclined to be lenient. 'If the police had not found the vases I can only presume you would have collected the money. It is a despicable thing,' he said. Dickerson and Bodger were each fined £1 on each of the charges. [Sergeant W. C. Wyatt prosecuted.]

Florence married Leslie W J BODGER [10047] [MRIN: 3301] in 1923 in Perth, WA, Australia.⁷⁷⁸¹