"GAME IS UP"

NZ Truth, Issue 1183, 2 August 1928, Page 8

"GAME IS UP"

New Way of Waiting For A Girl

(From "N.Z. Truth's" Auckland Rep.) What influenced Arthur Albert Clark, a young man of 23, who was out of work, to embark upon a career of deliberate crime? '■■■ THAT he had gone very thoroughly 1 into the science of the game was evident enough when he was finallyarrested, lor there was found upon his person a complete outfit of tools, comprising a hammer, two cold chisels, wire cutters, 57 keys, an electric torch,, arid a length of rope. \ ' And possibly, moat interesting of all, is, the fact that his final capture was largely due to luck, and the acumen of two uniformed men of the foree — Constables Doel and Waters. While the plain-clothes members of the force were hunting high and low for the perpetrators of a series of thefts, which hafl occurred m the centre of the city, fate dropped Clark into the hands of two men on patrol. GOT IN EARLY Seven charges of burglary, one or attempted burglary, and one of having, house-breaking implements m his possession were levelled against this young apprentice of Bill Sykes.. Ciark, it is evident, had made some ■study of the most suitable time for his operation^, and instead of selecting the siient hours of night he made most, if hot all, his entries before eight o'clock m the evening. , Darby Street, where Clark was caught redhanded by Constables Doel and .Waters, is a quiet thoroughfare leading' from Queen Street to Elliott Street, and the ... officers of law discovered him standing m a doorway which gave entrance to the Phoneries Repair and Exchange. They were moved by that instinct, which many of the uniformed men possess, to ask Clark to give an account of himself. His answer, innocent enough, wag that he was "waiting for a girl." P.O. Doel was not satisfied, and leaving Clark m phargre of Waters, he made an investigation of the neighboring doors. Returning to Clark they apparently gave him a "run over"; this brought to light soma of his implements. "The game' 6 up,- you've got the , goods on me," Was the bland announcement of the youthful burglar. On being searched at the police, station the other articles mentioned were brought to light. Clark's booty, which had not been very extensive from a monetary standpoint, had consisted chiefly of cigarettes, 156 packets being found at his home m Baker Street, also a gold watch and keys. " CENTRALISINGThe watch, his most valuable piece of loot, had been obtained at the office of the Rubber Co., and it was here that Clark had shown that he was no quitter when he got going. He cut through the corrugated iron wall of the premises with his tin snips, only to find that the ofilce itsslf was behind another wall. He cut through this wall also, and then broke the beaver board lining. Except for the watch and a half- penny he drew a blank. The cash he left, presumably m disgust. " . Seen m the dock there was nothing of the hardened criminal about Clark's appearance, and he . did not seem to feel his position very keenly when he pleaded guilty on all counts. : Magistrate McKean, having heard all the evidence, sent him on to the Supreme Court to be dealt with. It is interesting to contemplate how long Clark might have . continued his criminal career unchecked had he not transferred his attentions to a more central point of the city, for. he had previously confined his efforts to Quay Street, Anzac Avenue, and Beach Road. There he had, m a short space of time, entered a tyre service company's building, the premises of F. R. Elbeck, Quay Street, Campbell's Petrol Station, Beach Road, the shop of a Mrs. Rauch, Anzac Avenue, premises of , F. W. Smith, Custom Street, William Knott, Quay Street, and the warehouse of I. V. Travis, Gittos Street. It is known that on one occasion, he did two jobs within an hour of each other during one evening.' That such a series of crimes against property should take place m a business centre of the city, at such an early hour of the night, and be carried out with such impunity, goes to bear but the oft repeated contention of this paper that there is not a sufficient number of uniformed police regularly on patrol to ensure the reasonable protection of property. No blame is attachable to the patrolmen as they are given impossible distances to cover, and their numbers are far from adequate.