SENSATIONAL ARREST.

Taranaki Daily News, 9 August 1918, Page 7

SENSATIONAL ARREST.

JEWEL THIEF'S FIGHTEY STOLEN GOODS RECOVEKED. Sydney,: August 2. After a desperate fight in the Great Western Coffee Palace, at the corner of Hay and Sussex. Streets, early this afternoon, Detective* Learn and Lynch and Sergeant Kelly arrested, an escaped Victorian criminal in connection with the sensational shooting duel in Crown 'Street, Surry Hills, on Wednesday night, when Detective Thornley was wounded in the chest and left hand. The man secured was Walter Grant, alias Thomas, alias Hammond, alias Brewer, and in one of tihe pockets of an overcoat he was wearing was found a full-loaded six-chamber revolver. The police took possession of four They contained all the jewellery stolen from ■the motor car belonging to Mr. J. H Rosebury, wholesale jeweller, in George Street nearly a fortnight ago ,and also other jewels. The property recovered is thought to be worth several thousand pounds. Acting on information they had secured, the police party went to *he Ooffee Palace before dinner to-day, and took up stations. A few minutes after one o'clock their man arrived. Leary saw him approaching, and had the door of his room ajar. A few seconds lat»r the suspect placed the key in the lock of his door and turned it. As lie did so Leary sprang across the passage and pounced on him. Simultaneously Lynch and Kelly, who had been watching through the fanlight and knew that their man had arrived, threw the door wide open and sprang to tiie assistance of their companion. Leary was having a fierce tight. The man fought and struggled frenzSedly, and was making a desperate effort to get his right hand down towards the pocket in which a revolver was afterwards found- His efforts in this direction were frustrated. After a fierce tussle the detectives forced his arms into Hie air, and Lynch, placing his hand in the overcoat pocket, took possession of the'revolver, a small .32calibre weapon, of cheap design. Even then the man fought like a maniac. He kicked and wrestled all over the passage, and howled and squealed at the top of his voice. His cries attracted the other occupants or the Coffee Palace and in a few minutes quite a crowd was waitching the fight. .. ,i; The detectives had an exceedingly strenuous struggle, but eventually they overpowered him and threw' him'to. the flcwr. Then two of them held him down While the third man handcuffed' him. The fight finished then, for the man desisted in his struggles and went quietly. A motor car was procured, and he was taken immediately to police headquarters, where -he was formally charged with shooting Defective Thornley with intent to murder him, and with the theft of Mr. Rtosebery's jewellery.