A WINDOW SMASHER

Hokitika Guardian, 10 March 1924, Page 4

A WINDOW SMASHER

£SOO DAMAGE DONE. WELLINGTON. March 7. Bang went—not saxpencc —but eight large plateglass windows in the promises of Messrs Kirkcaldie and Staines in Brandon street, about 2.30 yesterday afternoon. A man, apparently a labourer, had casually strolled up Brandon street from the direction of the wharf, in his right hand a stout piece of iron about a foot or eighteen inches long, and half an inch thick, with a hook at one end and an eye at the other, something like a trucking hook, hut without a handle.

There was not a great number of people about, and the few taximen were busy with their cars or uniting for clients. As soon as he reached the drapery premises ho raised his arm and brought down the non. crash against the plateglass window, a foot or so from the bottom. The impact made a hole two or three inches large and sent cracks in all directions. “THAT’S ANOTHER ONE." Without stopping, the man proceeded to the next window, a crash, the iron again descended, and aiioihn window was gone. A third and fourth were similarly treated, the man remarking as he did so. "And that s an other one.”

A young lady assistant rushed 1u one of the buyers, Mr W. Clouston, calling out, “There’s someone smashing the windows.” I his was evidenced bv two or three more crashes. Mr Clouson ran out by one door, and Mr C. F. Smith, a director of the linn, by another, ami by this time no fever than ei'dit crashes had been counted. ••I’D HAVE SMASHED THE LOT." Mr Clouston was the first to i a tell sight of the man. and saw him raise the iron to the ninth window. fortunately he was just a little too far away, and missed, and as he raised the iron for a .second attempt, Mr ( hmston grabbed him by the sleeve and prevented the blow lulling.

The man made no attempt to get away or to resist, and gave up the implement quietly. Ml Air Smith came the two gentlemen marched the man straight into the police station, handing him over to Detective ( oopor. On the way he remarked, "l d hare broken the hd if you hadn't stopped me.” DAMAGE OYER £7,09.

The windows are each about liftsquare, and apparently ol hali-iuch plate-glass, Mo-', of them were devoted to a new display of dress lashions and materials. The window- were valued at £O9 to £79 each, and ihv damage was estimated at quite £.,0,). At Hi" first examination little damage appeared to have been caused (•> the goods in the windows, although a closer examination will have to bo made before this ran lie determined. The dsnnngt* is covered I>v iiisunuKv.

One ol the young lady assistants described the man as “about middle-aged with a vacant look on his lace. At Hie police station the man gave his name as Reginald White. He will he called before a magistrate tni~ morning to account lor hi- actions. THE CI'IMOFS CROWD.

The street, which a lew moments before was almost empty, was soon the centre of an excited crowd of people, several of whom expressed surprise that the man should have succeeded in smashing eight panes before he was stopped. The holes were hoarded over in the evening to prevent the damp getting through. None ol tile holes was very large, hut the window- were cracked in all (lived ions. These win

(lows were all in good order, ami no marked prior to this, but the windows in Lamldoit Qnav have been icratched more or less extensively—'“probably done by people wiill diamond rings, just to show that they were real diamonds,” said a member of the firm. The smashed windows were insured in the Royal Exchange. Insurance Company for <uns\dernMy ever .‘MU', so th.it the adu«|l 10-s to the h |m V, ''N not he great.