SAFES BLOWN

Evening Post, Volume CXV, Issue 74, 29 March 1933, Page 9

SAFES BLOWN

SERIES OF .ROBBERIES

CHURCH BROKEN INTO

QUAY. ARREST

When Constable A. Carlyon stopped a man in Jervois Quay shortly after 3 o'clock on the morning of March 13 and asked him to show-the contents of two suitcases he was carrying he- took a step that has resulted in the solution of the mystery of a series of robberies, characterised by the use of explosives, committed in Wellington between February 14 and March S. The suitcases contained tobacco which the carrier, Harold Mercer, aged 22, readily admitted ho' had stolen from the warehouso of Messrs. 'W. H. Moss, Ltd. Subsequent investigations by Detectives T. Smith and W. Ritchie led to a series of statements being made by Mercer in which he admitted that he hit* blown open the safes at the Salvation Army Citadel and at Stl Paul's Pro-Cathedral. In addition to these offences Mercer admitted that he had broken-^and entered the premises of A. E. Hislop, Ltd., Osmond and Sons, N. "VV. Stevens, Ltd., James Frederick Bailey, the Acetone Illumination and Welding Co., Coutts Bros., and Hare, Ltd., and Archibald P. Simister. Mercer, when he appeared before Mr. E. Page, S.M., at the Magistrate's Court today, intimated that he intended to plead guilty to seven charges of breaking, entering, and theft, three charges of breaking and entering with intent to commit theft, and one -charge of wilfully damaging the premises of W. G. Carpenter. Under the circumstances tho Magistrate held that it would be necessary to call only one or two witnesses to show tho naturo of the robberies. , FAILURE AT ST. PAUL'S. John Vincent Williams,- verger at St. Paul's Pro-Cathedral, said that when ho opened the church on the morning of March 7 he noticed that the hassocks and various cushions had been removed from their usual places, and were lying around the church s,afe. The safe had been blown, but the'door had jammed— the explosives had not done their work. The church had been entered through a window. On March 8 the knob of the safe was returned to the church office. With it was a letter signed "F.A.Z.," to the effect that the intruder had taken the knob by mistake. With the exception of this knob nothing had been taken from the church. Edgar lies, manager of Osmond and Sons, said that when ho arrived at the firm's premises on March 3 ho found that the doors of the strongroom and safe had been blown open • with explosives. /A sum of £9 3s 4d in cash was missing from the safe. Postal notes to the value of £2 and cheques representing £40 wero also missing. The same morning witness received a package through the post containing non-negotiable cheques that had been taken from the safe. They were accompanied by a note reading: ."Many apologies.—F.A.S." ARREST BY CONSTABLE. Constable A. Carlyon said that when he was on duty on the morning of March 13 he saw tho accused just after 3 o 'clock in Jervois Quay carrying two suitcases. Witness asked liiiii to open them, and he replied: "You have.-.got%e. It is tobacco." The accused admitted that^ he had stolon tho tobacco from the warehouse of Messrs S; w. h. Moss, Ltd. EXPLOSIVES POUND. ■When the accused was taken to the police station and searched a number of keys, a phrf and a half of gelignite, two detonators, two steel bits, a pair of pliers, and a pair of rubber gloves wero found in his possession. In a statement to the constable, the accused 6aid that he was a labourer by occupation, but had been out of work for about eighteen months. He came to Wellington from Gisborne early in 1932. • Referring to the robbery at tho warehouse of Messrs. W. H. Moss, Ltd., the accused said that he had cut the tops off the lead-head nails on the roof and had lifted a piece of roofing iron. He then entered the premises through the hole he had made. ■ , After Detectives Smith and Eitchie had read statements made by the accused admitting all the other offences, the Magistrate committed Mercer to the Supremo Court for sentence.