UNLUCKY BURGLARS.

Auckland Star, Volume XLVI, Issue 66, 18 March 1915, Page 2

UNLUCKY BURGLARS.

POOR HAULS AHB CAUGHT. STREAT AND HODGES PLEAD GUILTY. BUT DENY POINTING REVOLVER. The youth Eric Streat, who was shot in the arm when trying to break in Mr. Varley's grocery shop in Dominion Road at midnight last Thursday, and his companion, Selwyn Ho-Jges, came before Mr. E. C. Cutten, S.M., this morning on seven charges of breaking and entering and one of attempted breaking. The evidence indicates that the lade had not made a success of the burglary business, their loot from the whole lot being 40/6 iin cash, a hair., a Big Ben dock, a pair of leggings, five Revolvers, and a quantity of ammunition, besides a. few odds and ends of little value. Their most hieky cash venture was when they got into Fdendale School, and happened on 17/ beSonging to the sphool hoekev and cricket clubs. They got the clock from J. G. Findlay'e butchery in EdenJale Road, the ham from the Home and Colonial Store in Dominion Road, the revolvers from Merson Bros' shop in Symonds Street, the leggings from S. G. Connelly's saddlery shop in New North Road, and they broke a ba;k window at W. A. Mansell'e bootshop n Kingsland, but found the window sash naiksl, and consequently could not get in. These things they admitted freely, but they disputed strongly the evidence of Mr. E. Yarley about what happened at the latter's shop when he bailed them up with a revolver. Mr. Yarley, in his evidence, narrated the story of the capture closely on the lines of what was given in this paper at the time, except that he would not definitely state that either of the accused had a revolver in hie hand, though one of them, the shorter one (Hodges) had something •which witness took to be a revolver. Under cross-examination by Mr. J. R. Lundon (for accused), the witness stoutly maintained that both accused actually entered bis shop. He was standing at the end of his counter, about five varus back from the door, he said, Tvhen Streat came in the door and advanced about a couple of yards, while against the light of a street lamp that was across the β-reet he saw the shorter I man standing behind Streat arid a ltftle. 'to his right. Then 'witness' ' knocked some tins down, and immediately the shorter man flashed an electric torch on ■him, and he raised his revolved, called "Hands up!" and fired, not aiming at anyone in particular, whereon the pair turned and ran. Constable Grey said that when Streat was marched to the Mount Roskrtl Police Station, with a bullet in his arm, by Mr. Yarley, le had two revolvers in Ms pockefe, as well as an electric torch, but.the latter.was broken, and would .not work. . ...„. In pleading "guilty" Streat and Hodges each made a strrtftnent denying that they actually went inside Mr. Varley's shop, and stating that no electric torch wa« flashed, or revolver pointed. They stated that when Hodges was trying to 'open the door, with key, from the outeide, it suddenly came open about three feet; there was a, call. "(Hands npl" end at once a revolver shot, which cauae>l them to turn and run. Boih accnsed were committed to the Supreme Court for trial.