TO THE STORE

NZ Truth, Issue 1179, 5 July 1928, Page 9

TO THE STORE

„ ♦__ . .- Walker Walked Once Too Often (From "N.Z. Truth's" Christchurch Rep.) . The mentality of some crooks is indeed a mystery. That of Frank Nicholas Walker, of Christchurch, for instance. One of the petty pilfering, yet persistent,, type of crooks, he repeatedly jeopardized his liberty for the sake of a few shillings, an occasional bar of soap and an odd sack or two. LIE has had his run. of luck, hut *■** Nemesis, m the guise of Detectivesergeant* O'Brien and Acting-detective Findlay, overtook him at last and he now awaits sentence at the Hands of a Supreme Court judge. Walker certainly worked on a peculiar system. For some obscure reason, lie always selected' the same premises for his burglarious exploits and also chose Friday evenings for his. little stunts. ■•-.'. I The victim of his light-fingered-.per-sistency was Samuel George Unwin, a grain and produce merchant, carrying on business m Victoria Street. Walker's method of entering the premises never varied. It was his custom on each of his visits: — and . they numbered seven, all told — to drag away the bales of straw that were stacked against a Avail and then remove some loose boards, which left a hole large enough for him to crawl through. BURGLAR'S RETREAT' Once inside the place, he would nose around for what he could' find. His hauls included four one-penny stamps and 22 half -penny stamps, • two bars of soap and sundry other odds and ends, as well as' a few odd shillings m cash. ■ , The most amazing feature of his activities was that he should' visit the same' place again and again — and that he confined his pilfering to Friday evenings. ■ .'.-■/..' That he .was not caught sooner was a matter of pure luck, but Walker was to learn that you can have too much of a good thing. He never gave a thought to the house backing from Dorset Street on. to the backyard of the store he knew so well. • , Had he been more careful, he might possibly have observed Ellen Agnes Hadley, who saw quite a good deal from her house. * On more than one occasion, she had seen a man hanging about the premises and on the night when the police called a show-down Mrs. Hadley was ab}e to identify Walker as the persistent prowler. , .■, ' Acting m response to a telephone message,, Detective-sergeant 'O'Brien, accompanied by Acting - detective Findlay, proceeded to Unwin's store about 7.45 on a recent Friday evening. , They at once called upon two men' to keep an eye on the possible exits . from the place while they searched the store. On entering the backyard, O'Brien saw the form of a man running from the rear- of the .premises towards a gate leading" to. ■ Dorset Street. . : ./ . Mrs. Hadley also saw the mane's he was attempting to climb oyer tjv'e 'gate, but; — wise woman — she * .t-Jd the marauder that it was allu/b and that . he had better go back the^Vay he had come. ' -.-•,'' Walker did so, only irf run into the wailing arms of the tw-b detectives. Following a visit to,/ Walker's' abode m. Sydenham, wher^e some articles identified as Unwinds property were found, he was takerti to the detective office, -jv-here he mafae a statement m which he admitjtcd the offences charged-. ; V j'This has been i brought about by worry. I am "at jj^esent m a bad v.vay and am under i:\ytsdical . treatment." Walker ■ -.pleac^-jU guilty arid was committed to Supreme Court for >• sentence. • / '/'.'■■ . -;* : ■'.-