“WE ARE DETECTIVES”

Evening Star, Issue 19797, 22 February 1928, Page 14

“WE ARE DETECTIVES”

GAOL SENTENCE FOR (POSTURE [Pee United Press Association.] AUCKLAND, February 21. “ Bring your husband. We are Detectives Hunt and Walsh, and we want to search your house.” This was the demand of two tall men who stood on the front doorstep of Harry Smith’s house in Stratford street at 1 o’clock this morning. Mrs Smith, who was awakened by a loud knocking on the door, called her husband, who very quickly made up his mind that ‘hey were not detectives, and had them arrested. ■

As a result Harry. Wrote (aged twenty-five) and Eric Malcolm Biel (aged thirty-three) kept each other company in the dock at the Police Court this morning. They pleaded guilty when charged with assuming the designation of members of the Police Force. Biel further admitted assaulting Harry Smith. “ What do you mean by doing such a thing?” Mr F. K. Hunt, S.M., asked. White, who said lie was a barman, replied that Biel had asked him to accompany him last night. The sub-inspector produced Bid's list of previous convictions. The list showed that Biel was at present released on license from prison. Nothing was previously known against White. Mr Hunt lined White £lO, in default one month’s imprisonment. Biel, on being further charged with failing to comply with the terms and conditions of his release on probation, pleaded guilty. •‘He gets a chance, and instead of behaving himself he goes and annoys people at an unearthly hour of the morning by declaring that lie is a detective, said the magistrate in sentencing the accused to three mouths’ imprisonment for a breach of his probation. He was convicted and discharged on the other two counts.