NUMBER TWO.

Auckland Star, Volume XLVI, Issue 61, 12 March 1915, Page 6

NUMBER TWO.

ANOTHER MIDNIGHT ARREST. FOLLOWING ATTEMPTED BURGLARY. THE DOMINION ROAD SENSATION. The dramatic events connected with the attempted burglary of Mr. E. Varley's grocery store in Dominion Road at midnight on Wednesday, when two 3'outhful burglars were surprised by Mr. Varley, and one of them shot and captured 'by 'him after a chase, concluded very near the midnight hour last night, when the second man was arrested at his home in Dunbar Road, Mt. Eden. He is a lad named Selwyn Hodges, aged IS years, of rather short stature, and only medium build. A LATE RETURN HOME. After the arrest of the first lad, Eric Streat, when he had been walked to the Mt. Roskill police station by Mr. Varley at the point of the pistol, a search for his companion was instituted. From Mr. Varley's description, Streat's companion was almost at once Tecognised as being young Hodges, but a visit to hie home failed to draw him, and the search was widened. Evening came with no result, so Constable Grey and Detectives Quartermaiii and Hammond eet a watch on the house. It was wearing on towards midnight when a young man crept from the street silently up the side of the 'house. The watchers saw him stop eloee to a window and knock guardedly ou the wall, beside which, on the ineide, one of the inmates was sleeping. Presently there was a response, and a low calf from the outside to open the door resulted in the caller 'being let in by the back door. Immediately the police officiate blocked the means of exit, and knocked on the back door, demanding entrance, which was granted at once, and the young man, Selwyn Hodges, was arrested with no attempt on hie part to resist or to run away. HID IN FREE LIBRARY. At the time of his arrest he had no revolver on him, and Jiis caeh consisted ; of only 2/4. He was fully aware of the statement published about the capture of his friend, Eric Streat, for he had spent the whole of the day and evening yesterday in the Free Public Library iv Welleeley Street, and, of course, was a particularly interested reader when the evening paper was put up on the stand in the reading-room. He contests tho accuracy of the details of the story told by Mr. Varley to a reporter. TELLS ~A NEW STORY. It will be remembered that Mr. Varley described how he eilently released the catch of the Yale lock of his front door when -he heard somebody outside trying keys in the lock, and then took up a point of vantage awaiting the entrance of the suspected marauders, whom he greeted with the call or "•Hands up!"and that he did not fire his revolver until the other man levelled a revolver at him. This part of the narrative is contested by Hodges, wJ» etates that his companion had just succeeded in turning the key in the lock when Mr. Varley suddenly jerked the door open a few inches and fired immediately through the opening, striking Streat in the arm and terror into the heart of the deponent, who decamped without any thought of levelling a revolver, and quite satisfied to get away without any wound himself. Thia version of the affair, of course, does not minimise the gameness of Mr. Varleyle part in the capture, 'but it has a bearing on reducing the 6eriouenese oi the arrested nun's actions. SEVERAL CHARGES TENDING. It is understood that admission ntudc. by Streat and Hodges, and the finding of articles in connection with the arrests, will reetrit in about eight different charges of breaking and entering, being laid against them. These burglaries are of comparatively recent date, and cover pretty well all Tae complaints of the kind tfiat liave come from the dfetrict adjacent to Dominion Road. These charges -will include the entering of Messrs. Merson Bros.' shop at the top of Symonds Street, and the theft of five revolvers and about a thousand rounds of cartridges* Hodges ie a, lad with a liking for mechanics, and some time ago he worked for Messrs. Merson Bros. He was brought before Mr. E. C. Cirttcn, S.M., this morning, on charges of breaking and entering the shops of Messrs. Variey and W. J. Asirby, in Dominion Road, on Wednesday, and wag remanded until next Thursday.