BURGLARY" CHARGES.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1489, 11 July 1912, Page 5

BURGLARY" CHARGES.

AUCKLAND CASES' I' SOME SENSATIONAL EVIDENCE. TALK ABOUT SHOOTING"DON'T PUSH ALL THE BLAM& ON ME.", (Br Telegraph.—Press Association.) Auckland, July 10. A ecqucl to the recent long list of bul* glories in Auckland was tho appearauco of several men in Court toi-day. Ernest Kirehirtz, a Orennaii,, aged 'St years, and Charles Murphy (alius Reynolds), a Canadian of 2fi, were charged with having •'rolcen and entered the Clarendon Hotel on .limn 27 by night with intent to commit a crime; Chief Detective MaTsack, in outlining the case, said that tho Clarendon Hotel stood out oh the corner of Rutland Street and Queen Street. On the night of Junu 2(i about midnight, Constable Hill, who was on plain clothes duty on the streets, noticed Kirehirtz hanging about the locality, evidently watching the .policeman on tho beat. Hill wateliedliim.and Faiv him stand in tho doorway end watch tho policeman go round tho corner. Then lie , went across Rutland Street to the cellar door of the hotel, which opened on ( to the street. The door was a trapdoor, which closed by its own weight and led to the cellar, which in tnln led by a door into ; the bar. When tho bar doors were lock* od at night, tho bar was isolated from th< rest of tho building, and anyone 'who weni thoro was himself trapped if his exit were blocked at the rear. Hill darted aero?! tho street after Kirehirtz, when the Int.' tcr disappeared through the trapdoor from tho street, and waited there. In a few moments lie Was joined by Scrgt. Carroll, and tho pair of : thciii went through the trapdoor into the cellar and thence into the bar. There they found Kirehirtz endeavouring to hido.behind a screen, and a further search produced Reynolds, whoso true name was Murphy, hiding under the bar counter. Apparently nothing had been taken, end there was nbtliing incriminating on cither man. Later Murphy said ho had been living in rooms in Vincent Street, - and a search there, revealed two plugs of gelignite and a detonator hidden. After a quantity of evidence had bceii giveu, both accused pleaded "guilty," and were committed to tho Supremo Court for sentence. • ; ■ Witnesses Have Mumps, Paul Eugene Scrim and Charles Murph/ were then charg>)d that on June 20 tlioy broko and entered tho Great Northern Brewery by nig'ht with intent to commit a oi'ime. Chief Detective Marsack stated that in this caso he had perforce to ask for a remand, as all the witnesses lie required from tho Great Northern Brewery were in bed with mumps. His Worship: "Very well,, wo don't want them hero." . 1 • Mr. Marsaok: "No, sir; wo havl enough dangerous stilff here already." An Explosion.

One of tho two previous accused, Swim, and James Grant were bracketed to answer a chai-go of breaking and entering tho shop of Arthur John Ellyett, grocer, of Mount Eden, on 'May 12, and the factory of 'Messrs. Cousins and Atkins, Stanley Street, on Juno 6. With regard to tlio first charge the story unfolded by tho police showed that tho owner of the shop, who lives in the vicinity, Jienrd an ex- . plosion 011 the Sundoy night in question, but 011 account of, the prevalence of blasting operations in tho neighbourhood ho did not attach any importance to it. Oil. opening his shop on tho Monday morn-; ing he found that tho front door liadbeen . forced, with a jemmy, and that tlio safe had been opnnert by means of blasting, tlio door being practically destroyed. A sum of between .£2O nnd <£30, which he had left there 011 Saturday night,-was gone. . A.number of bags of sugar were lying about the floor of tho oflico whoro tlio sajo stood, having licen Itttmght in from tlio shop. Thero' wavbutler spliiSlired all over tho room. A piece of burned fuse was found in tho room. Subsequent to their arrest both accusod had niacin statements, each 0110 alleging that the other committed tho burglary wlnle hf had kept watch. Sensational Statements. Upon the second chargo tlio ovidenco v was of tlio most sensational character yet given. Formal testimony as to UlO premises of. Messrs. Cousins and Atkins having Deon left intact on tho night before the ocouiTehee, and tho fitato ■ ill which tho building and tho two. safes were found next morning was given. . Chief Detective Marswk, m tho box, stated that upon the night in (juration, at about 11.15 p.m., ho was waiting for a ear at the foot of Constitution Hill, .in front of Messrs. Cousins and Atkins factory,' at exactly 11.55 pin., 3ust oftra 110 bad parted with Slilvliispcctor Hendry, Van explosion occurred in tho factory. A number of people came rushing. up,' amongst them tlio two accused. ll© persuaded the onlookers to go away, nnd then proceeded round to tho back of tho taetory. llio two accused followed liim round, nll tl when he turned tho light upon them they asked him what was the matter, 110 made an evnsivo r«ply, and they went away. Ho discovered that tho secretary s offico was full of smoke, and that tho ■safe had been blown ' up.. " A piece ol burnt fuso. found 011 the floor was about four, and a half foot long, and was still warm. It would take about four or' five minutes to burn. Shooting Mentioned.

Continuing, witness said lie next. »*, Scrim at. tho l'olice Station on tho tjny. of his - arrest, when he admitted been at tho hack of Cousin* mid Atkins fnetorv that night. Later on helim snul "Make it as light as you ran. 1 did you a pood turn Unit nig it.. Grant wanted to shoot yoti, saying that as you had recoenispil us would Ik> nrrest?(l. - I , slonnoil lum from <loilu? WtJuuK of lh« ixiud, mid Hiat if h© tned it -I wouldi shoot him." _ , , . , , Later on witness saw Grant,' and taxed him with tho intention ofi-hooting. Grant, on being told I'lmt Senm. rad said so, replied:— , •' . "No, it was just the other way about. Serini wanted to shoot you, but was afraid it might, make-too much noise. I persuaded him not; to." Dotcctivo t'ouell described how l'o went to tho hoilso of Set'im hi Mt. Eden, si | 3 , J 1 R he wanted to interview him ahoilt tho burglary; in Uw Great Northern Brewery. Accused denied having ill his possession any burglary outfit n revolver Olid some cnrtndgeS, which lie said ho had had for u. long tiine. A search, however, revealed some gelignite, keys, detonator, caps, a jemmy, aud some fuse.

Flat Contradiction. When the two accuse<l were together on .Tune 29, continued witness, Grant said to Serim: "Yon said you would shoot Chief Detcctivo Mal'&ick, only it would have made too much noise. ' To this Scrim replied: "No, it -jvas .von who wonted to shoot him. Don't push all the blnmo on to me. 4 ' , ' In answer to n question from Rerun, Detective Vowell replied that the former had gi.von every assistance in making the investigation. Detective Oumming corroborated (he evidence of Detective. l\)well, neither of the accused intimating rin.v desire to say anything in answer to tlio evidence- or charges, Serim pleaded guilty to both charges, while Grant put in a plea of not guilty to both. They nvre accordingly committed, one for trial, the other for sentence. ' , , Grant made application for bail. Tho application was opposed by Chief Detcctivo Marsaek «nd was refused.' 1 Serim alone was called upon to answer a. clmrgo of having brokon into the nureliouso of C. 15. Hemue at Newmarket on .luno 'I. and lutving stolen the sum of ,l"j 15s. !)d. To lliis cliorgo Serim pleaded not guilty and was committed to tlio Supreme Court for trial. Re made amiliontion for bail as before, but the application mas refusxl.