IMPUDENT DAYLIGHT ROBBERY.

Taihape Daily Times, Volume XI, Issue 3435, 15 March 1920, Page 7

IMPUDENT DAYLIGHT ROBBERY.

\\'l’l‘.\'lu‘b‘>,‘El) BY DUNEDIN POLICE l ._._.—._ l b'l-lIi"S GRE.-XSER .\RRES’i‘]:ll). . Email wonder that importers and exporters should COlllplai.n of the great‘: loss sustained owing to wholes-alet thieving of goods consigned by sea,l when such incidents as the following take place in broad daylight. Says the Dunedin Star:—— - A smart piece of work was pert‘ur:n.ed by the Port Chalmers police on b‘:ltill'day afternoon, when they appre—§ hended :1 member of the crew of the‘ o\'er.<ea steamer Port Ch:llmer>'_. I_yl.nQ;' at the (,%e.orge. Street pier. on :1 (‘ll-.121.»-,l‘ of the theft of five yards of Axminster carpet runner. Two other men were implieated in the deal, but. unt’ort'unately tlle police were unable to l(ll‘llllfy them. ; It appears that Sergeant. I)o:iga:x. and Constable Souter, while starrmlirmgl in the Square, noticed a man pass; along with a. bundle under his arm.§ He was then about 30 yards away, and just as the suspicions of the policy officers were. aroused, two other men’ were seen coming from the direction? of the Ge»ollge Strreet. pieng, pone oft whom was carrying one bundle, a‘..d: the other two bundles‘, all of whieht were eovered with canvas. The police‘ were fully convinced that something‘ was amiss, and quickly set out on the‘ truck of the three men. The men: turned, and realising that the offieersl ot' the law were \“wise” "to their! game disappeared like a flusli down; the ,I*igllt-of-way alongside tt'he Pro-t vineiul Hotel. The police reached the! hotel yard only :1 few seeonds behin-1: their quarry, but they could find not trace, of the men or the bundles. l.horough Search of the yard was ‘made, and the officors were rewtlrded by find- I ing two bundles of. carpet runner hid-I den behind some easks. which had‘ evidently been hastily dumped there! by the fugitives in their hurried flight. I Having got rid of their goods, the men bolted up the back steps of the hotel‘ and mingled with thirty of their mates and other ’inen’i'bers of ships’t crews in the public bar. ‘ E The pol‘r:e ofiieers then lhrardl \'ol(‘(‘s, coming from the bar. and as a‘ result of the eonversation Constables‘ Souter and Brown entered -the bar and I found 3 roll of carpet secreted under a seat. Tlieylwere able to identify one man ‘then out of the three men e:il'ryillg bundles. This: man, who gave his nz-me as Frederick (‘.eor;_;‘e Champion, was thereupon zlrre.<t«-d up-

on the ahar<_l‘e of HlO tlmft or’ .fl'cv

yards of carpet. Champion. who is oxl:plnyC(l:‘.s a gm-ascl' on the Port‘ Clnlrlncr.~:, told S01'g'0:1IH Dougan that {L m:l.n on the whzirf had given him the roll of ('11I'}'>("l. but inf'm'nlo<] C()ngfa‘l;]Q Router that he had fouml it on the wharf. The police, as stated, are unable so far to identify HlO other two men I'mplicated in the affair. The 0:11-pa? in tho pnsses.-i<m of Hm police nmzisnrcs 221 yards in all. It is quite new. and had ovidon{]y been broached from the val';,m on HlO Port Clialiners. The carpet. is part of a large roll, and the strips are of various lengths. "TllO Value of the goods rccoxiprod by ‘rho police iotal £33 15/. The zu-r_"uSr‘d \\':l.< c11a1';;'Nl at the IN‘-1'1" ("liztlnivrs poliwn vnurt on Mimday with the Hlc’r't oi’ iiw _\':lrd.< M‘ vzirpcr. On thn‘ appliv:ll‘i(nl Of Sm--g‘i';lllr Dmlg‘:ln C‘h:lmpimi \\':lS I'oman(l- -