THE INTRUDER

NZ Truth, Issue 1145, 10 November 1927, Page 5

THE INTRUDER

Constable's Midnight

Encounter

(From "^r.Z. Truth's" Special Welling- j ton Rep.) , ; A slinking form m the darkness at the rear of the warehouse, a fumbling with a window-catch. Then the flare of a match; an inspection of the door leading to ■ the factory; the flame of an electric iorch m the intruder's eyes and a shout of: "Hands up!" And. two men closed m a ,d.eadly struggle. BUT the night prowler was taller and stronger than his opponent, a young constable. The surprise of the attack over, he asserted his strength. Momentarily dazed by a blow on the head from a baton, he fell and a handcuff was snapped on one wrist. \Then, raining blows on his adversary, he broke free and dashed down the passage and out of the window. The wall, eight feet high, was taken m his stride and through the streets j a hue and cry began. The constable chased the man up Egmont Street, through Ghuznee Street and along Taranaki Street before he caught the fugitive. . There they closed again. But fear of capture lent the pursued man strength. Though battered by the constable's club, he fought silently and savagely. Exhausted, the constable called on several passers-by for aid, but they did' not fancy being drawn into a fight of such ferocity. And so the burglar sped down the street — free from pursuit at last. - Tracing a man is not difficult when a clue is gained, however. And it was only next day that Detective McLennan called on the man to probe him with hard questions. And that was how Arthur Harold Anderson came to stand m the dock of the Supreme Court on trial for breaking and entering the warehouse of James Staples, m Egmont Street. Five fresh wounds had been found m the man's head : — all bleeding — -and some of them had needed a doctor's stitches, Crown Prosecutor Macassey told the jury. The man's wrists were swollen and cuts and abrasions upon him abounded.