YOUTH AT BAY.

Auckland Star, Volume XLIV, Issue 76, 31 March 1913, Page 9

YOUTH AT BAY.

BESIEGES BT POLICE.

A COXSTABLE SHOT.

MELBOUR>~E, March 24

At Ballarat East to-nifrht a police (■'instable, Allen Ueorpe Calwell (22). was shot in the head, hiis injuries bc-injr of a, serious nature: and I'erc.v Sparks llii) has been arrested.

It U sUtcd that Sparks quarrelled with his mother rar!y in the evening a* a result of an admonition, mid threatened to chop down bis moth'-r and all the rithens ill the household with an axe.

An attempt w;is made to overpower ; the lad. who is of fine physique, but , without rul-cpN). and ho drew a five-' chambered revolver from his pocket. , and threatened to shoot the first per.-on who interfered with him. Constable Calwell and Harvey were ?ent from Ballarat Kn« police barracks to investlpnte. They heard screunw a* rh=y approacliPfl the house in which the BjKirke farailv lived, and learned that the violent youth was in the house with all the doors locked. The constables were walking straight up to the building, when a revolver shot ran" out. The bullet whistled past Constable Harvey, who was in the lead, and struck Coiwtable Calwell in the face, travelling in an upward direction under the now. lie dropped to the ground. Constable Harvey telephoned for assistance, and a large number of policemen arrived. . The votith Sparks refused to come out of the'house, and flmiriplW the revolver deliantlv. Eventually some of the policemen rained an entrance, and rushing upon Sparks, arrested him. lie resulted violently, and when taken to the wntch- ! house had to be placed in a straitjacket. , ~ The police arc of opinion that the I art s ourburst i> due to a (Hidden menta! derangement-