YOUNG BURGLAR

Hokitika Guardian, 20 July 1932, Page 8

YOUNG BURGLAR

CAPTURED BY CONSTABLE

HOW HE OPENED A DOOR

AUCKLAND, July 18. “You have caught me fair. I’ll come clean!”

'i'liis was what Frederick John Murray, aged 19, told Constable Agnew when he was chased: and caught- after committing robbery at the Rob RoyHotel Freeman’s Bay, in! the morning of July 16.

When, a[ tailor by occupation, appeared ; at,,the Police Court a complete .kit. of housebreaking in-’ strumentS' all ,sade by .himeelf, was produced-. He..\v,as charged with breaking and entering the Rob Roy .Hotel, by night and stealing a gold wristlet watch, torch; pair of scissors and 8u in money, of a total value of £0 195,the property of Charles A. P011y.,; He ■'-was-further, charged' with being foundby night, without lawful .excuse, in. possession of' housebreaking instruments.' 1 1 - ' ' ' •’'' : ' “THERE’S A , BURGLAR.” v ' w

Charles A. Pelly; licensee of the Rob Roy Hotel, said he retired at 0.30. About 2 o’cock in the morning his wife called out, “There’s a burglar in, the room.” ,He got out of bed ape went' half-way down the stairs,-• when lie ‘heard'' the door, leading-to- thekitchen being cclosed. He - could not see anyone, and on, returning to llisbodroom witness'found that a torch was missing, als'o-'&s- in money. Going downstairs again ‘lie found that the intruder had climbed the fire- e,scape and entered by the; dining room windoik- Mrs Pelley on going, to • close the back door, was met by Constable iAi-iiew-j who had accused with- him. Murray . produced the torch, watch and 8s in silver and' said to witness,, “This is all I 'have got of yours.” - f

: Constable Agne.w,. of,hreeman’ s[ Bay taid lie was on duty in Baker Street at 1.50 a.m., when .his attention was attracted; by a door being slammed violently. At the same time-he saw;'-a■ man running' away from the vicinity j rf the Rob Roy, Hotel. Witness’ took accused to the hotel were Murray:'saw “You./have got me lair; pll come, •clear.” . •;

When searched at the Freeman’s Bay station, Murray, was found ,tp have a black,..jack, a torch, a pair 'd! liera, a broken table knife, three .pieces of wire shaped ’for picking locks, and two pieces of wire ' shaped for inserting into windows. .Murray ,vas wearing thin white gloves. Ho was nervous and made a . statement, which he (signed. - >'• ‘ , MURRAY’S CLEVER RUSE Mlr.urti A • *'.»•!V (11.1-- . .(j-f-''-'.' Murray said lie left home. at mid-., night with the intention of .breaking 1 fnto some place. Walking down,-.to r reonian-’s Bay, lie dev.idecL toybrtjak; into the Rob Roy Hotel.' HI went tothe back- window, and gob in, but found the door- locked; and ij, could not get any. fprther,”" he said, “so' 1 lifted a Vimdoiv after climbing to the top of. the fire, escape and' entered the. dining room. The door was locked, the key being on tlje other side. 1 got'a serviette, ppehed it under the door, poked the key out: of the lock, and then pulled the serviette out, and the key, was lying on .it. I . then got out of the dining room and into a bedroom, where 1-,found a man and a woman asleep in bed. I tqoly a geld watch. and ~ pair of tcissors. off t,.e dressing table and 8s .and, a ,-torch from .another, table. The woman woke up and shouted, “A burglar.,” and bolted .out. of tne hotel,, buying previously' opened all the < doors. I got clear of the hotel and ‘ was running away up Union Lane, when a com-table caught me. The black jack, made of a piece-of dead wrapped >in insulation ti-pe, a pair of ' pliers,' two pieces of heavy' for , taking . glass out, and three pieces of thin wire for opening doors, these tools are all of my. .own making.” : Bu■ - Murray was ■ committed to. the Supreme Court for .sentence. .../