SEAMEN BURGLARS

Hokitika Guardian, 30 May 1933, Page 6

SEAMEN BURGLARS

COMMITTED jFOR SENTENCE. f per Press Association — Copyright.) CHRISTCHURCH, May 30. George Grainger, 27; Patrick Gannon 25; James Tanner 25, all seamen, Avorc charged with breaking and entering the warehouse of Supply Stores, Colombo Street, on May 25 with intent to commit a crime. t Accused pleaded guilty and were committed for sentence. ‘Particulars of Arrest. lights in the Supply Stores, Limited, grocery shop, at the corner of LaAvSon Street and Cloombo Street, Sydenham, at 2 a.m. on Thursday last, and tlie : astuteness of Mr W. Duffield, pf Lawson Street, led to the sensationil arrest of three men after a vigorous struggle with a police sergeant and a constable.

Mr Duffield Avas on his way home at 2 a.m. Avhen he noticed the effect of a flickering light on the AvindoAV of the premises. He hastened to the slot tele* phone cabinet at the corner, telephoned to the Sydenham police, and kept Avatch until the quick arrival of Constables R. F. Leith and J. Johnston. The constables discovered that a panel on a side door had been forced, making an aperture of about 20in. square; Listening near this aperture, the constables came to the decision that there Avere men inside.

The police Avere not taking any risks, and the central station avus telephoned to for reinforcements. So.on, Sergeant; C. J. Harrison and Constable.G. Simpson arrived.

The men Avere trapped inside, since the front door Avas securely barred and locked, and the only means- of escape 'vas by the hole in the side door. As the police Avaited at the side door, Avith others at the front door, they heard the men inside shuffling in the darkness toAvard the hole. The door was smartly rapped Avith a baton and there Avas a scatter inside, stock falling in the orocess.

•SERGEANT’S TORCH. FAILS. Then -Sergeant Harrison and Constabile Leith entered through the hole in the door, a guard of the other constables- and Mr Duffield being outside. All was quiet inside, and no one. c°uld he s eon -as the torches .of the police ivefe played on likely hiding places. ■ Presently the torchlight , .showed the crouching forms of three. .men. under the counter. " . : -cv.; •

The men made. n-o : display of .resist-, ance as Constable Leith pocketed hip torch a,nd handcuffed one of them. The ■police Avere about to handcuff , a p-c-coik! man -when the sergeant’s torch failed. All Avas darknes s and commotion in a second, and the men and’.'the police became * involved in a desperate ronghand tumble Avitbin the narrow limits ot. the epace behind the counter,

The police were out,numbered,though one man AA r as .handcuffed. Butter was swept from---the counter..and-.. containerspof honey came doivn from the shelves on top bf -the struggling fireb;' . tolling' on the sa'Avdusf d,f:;the flopr-i" E vein tually the other' men Avere JiabfJcufferl" .'and peace reigried in. the shop. On the floor was a small pool of blood. An elbow had hit nose in the darkness. “SHIP LEAVING TO-NIGHT.”

•Still the police were taking no risks. Tt was not practicable- to wedge handcuffed men out through the hole in the door, so Mr A. W. Soanes, the manager of the shop, who lives in Bealev Avenue was telephoned for, and captors and captives recovered their breath while they waited for the manager and the keys of the front door. Apparently the intruders had just entered the shop when they were discovered, ias nothing had been collected, although it was evident that a search of the premises war i n full swing. On the floor the police found ' several partly-burned rolls °f paper, which had -been lighted and used a$ torches.