SHOOTING AFFRAY.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXI, Issue 462, 26 June 1909, Page 3

SHOOTING AFFRAY.

CROOK SENTENCED TO DEATH.

Sydney, June 24

Crook has been found guilty of

the North Sydney shooting affray, with a recommendation to mercy.

Sentence of death was recorded. CROOK’S NEW ZEALAND, RECORD.

Crook, who is a seaman, 23 years of age, commenced his career of crime in New Zealand in

1904, when he was sentenced to nine months’ imprisonment on each of two charges of breaking and entering the drapery premises of Messrs Waruock and Adkin and stealing goods valued at In December, 1905, he was sentenced to 12 months’ imprisonment on each of three charges of theft, and in the following month he was sentenced to six months’ imprisonment for escaping from custody. The story of the North Sydney crime was thus told in a cablegram of April 1: “Russel Sinclair, a resident of North Sydney, disturbed an intruder in his house. A desperate struggle followed. The robber, who was armed with a revolver, fired twice, and seriously wounded Sinclair in the groin.

“ The robber, who was arrested after an exciting chase, during which he fired several shots at his pursuers, and inflicted nasty injuries on the head of Constable Gates (a New Zealander) by battering It with the butt of the revolver. Gates received immediate promotion as a reward for his bravery.”