THE WAIHINE MAIL ROBBERY.

Manawatu Herald, Volume L, Issue 3918, 14 March 1929, Page 3

THE WAIHINE MAIL ROBBERY.

ACCUSED ANSWER CHARGES OF ROBBERY AND ARSON.

Wellington, March 13. Charges of robbery and arson at the shop of Robert Young Shearer, Ltd., of Loiver Hutt, were proceeded with in the Lower (Court to-day against Thomas Gordon, Richard Ryan and George Wilfred Ryan, who, \ntli Arthur Henry William Bevan, were arrested in connection with the mail roibbery on the Wallin e. The managing-director of the firm stated that when he left the shop at five o’clock on January 10 there was no sign of fire. He received a telephone message at 3 a.m. and went to 'the shop, where the mercery department had been daimaged by fire. There had been about ten fires in the shop, and the damage was estimated at £1775. Another member of the firm said that about £9O worth of stock had been taken from the mercery and drapery departments, and a member of the fire brigade stated in evidence that none of the fires discovered could have originated from the other. Detective Jarrpld, who visited the shop, spoke of finding a broken pane of glass and matches strewn about. •On February 20, in company with Detective-Sergeant T'ricklebank, he arrested the three accused and recovered from the house where Gordon and Bevan lived articles which had been identified by the firm in question. Detective Jarrold stated that when he visited Richard Ryan’s house he found various articles, and Ryan said he knew the game was up. He also said he knew the stuff was “crook” when he got it from Gordon and had been worried about it ever since it was there. In a statement made at the detective office, Gordon said that he and C. Bevan went out to • Taita in R. Ryan’s car on the night of January 10, and after having consumed liquor, knocked about for a while. They then set off for Wellington. G. Ryan was too drank to drive. Later he left Ryan in the car and broke into Shearer’s shop and took the goods. lie gave the two Ryans and Bevan some of the goods. He did not set fire to the shop. He had used wax matches. j

Detective-Sergeant Tricklebank also "gave evidence. Mr. Leicester, counsel for all the accused, submitted that there was no case against the Ryans and the charges against them should be dismissed. Richard Ryan was committed to the Supreme Court for trial; Gordon was cofmlmitted for sentence on a charge of burglary to which he pleaded guilty and for trial on the charge or arson which he denied; Bevan was committed for trial on the charge of. receiving stolen goods; Geoi'ge Wilfred Ryan was comlmitted for trial on charges of robbery and arson. Following this the hearing of the charges in connection with the robbery on the Wfahine was commenced. Thotmas Gordon, a taxi-driver aged 21, Arthur Henry William Bevan, a plumber, aged 20, Richard Ryan, a motor mechanic, aged 31, and George Wilfred Ryan, a taxidriver, aged 24, were charged that between February 9 and 10 at Lyttelton and at Wellington they did steal postal packets and sums of money amounting in all to about £l7l 5s sd, and also a gold watch, a pen and ring to the total value of £lB4 5s sd, the property of the Postmaster-General. 'Seven witnesses gave evidence of having posted money and other valuables in Dunedin and Christchurch. One witness, Ada Dick, of v Christchurch, who had posted two £5 notes and two £1 notes, had first of all taken their numbers. She identified one of the £5 notes. Reginald J. Day, a night watchman on the Wtahine, said that he knew Richard Ryan by sight. On February 8 he saw Ryan sitting beside the imail hatch of the Wahine at Wellington. This was between 7 o’clock and 7.30. There was another man with Ryan but witness could not say who he was. He looked about 26 years of age. At that time the mail was being loaded into the hold and Ryan and bis companion could see this. “On February 9 at Lyttelton,” continued witness, “I again saw Ryan iby the hatch. It would be about G p.m. and lie was then talking to one of the sailors; tins was the night we left lor Wellington. So far as I know the mails were not being loaded at 6 p.m. although they were due to be about then.” Witness went on to state that on Wednesday, February 6, while he was walking along the wharf on the way to the Wahine at Wellington between 7 and 7.30 p.m. he saw Richard Ryan and another sitting iu the bay of a window of a shed. Roughly speaking, this would be about 50 yards from the mail hatch. From this position Ryan could see the mail being loaded. The further hearing was adjourned until to-morrow afternoon.