PAEKAKARIKI SAFE ROBBERY.

Auckland Star, Volume LIII, Issue 121, 24 May 1922, Page 9

PAEKAKARIKI SAFE ROBBERY.

■ STOKY OF THE CRIME. AS roi.n iiv a prisoner. Wild |s -MR. X." rjjlilHtVto tli<' Paekakariki sale-robbery MB e tippw* '"" '" l,av< " I " vn >' ~i >o h>,d vet (says ii"' ""Hotiiuti.m. ) During il,e Magistrate'- ( mm proceedings nt jlasterton on Monday against a third m .i n for briii}! implicated in the crime, farmirhael. one of tin- nri|_itial accused. D oiV serving ■' live-year .-enienee, was the chief witnc-s. He relate,l what was. according t' l l |,,n - ''"' 'ireuinstances of the theft ami ll" division of the spoil, and 1"' referre.l In still another accomplice—a illisterious "Ml. X." I .liime- I evil Oliver Thomson, of Taueni, w »" brought up mi remand to answer a charge that on Jiiiimiry 18, ]!)22. at MiH'll-.liine Hill, he did receive 28 sovereign- ninl £1- in silver, knowing the money to have been part of that itiilen from ihe Pncknkaril.i railway rsfri'fltment room? by Bid and Carjnienfirl Mr. P. L. P. Free, S.M., was on the benrh. Senior-Sergeant I'uinmings prosecuted, and Mr. W. Xoble appeared for accused. C'ARMICHAEI. GIVES EVIDENCE. Percy Martin Carmiehnel, formerly a blacksmith's striker at Waingawa meat works, said he was one of the party thst went io Pnckaknriki on Saturrltiy, jHininry 7. with a view, to robbing the railway refreshment rooms. Accused was not "ith them. They arrived at Tnekakariki about midnight by motor car. Tlie sate was dragged out of the room on to the platform and taken to tlnroad on a railway hand barrow and then placed iv the c tr. Witness was not present when the entrance to the rooms was effected. At the top of Moonshine Hill they stopped tn put the safe over a bank because it was too heavy for the car. There were three people in the cur. Witness went on to say that he had heen sentenced to five years' imprisonment on the Paeknknriki charge, and had also served a sentence for theft of whisky from the railway. Tt was on January IS that the next visit was paid to the safe. Thomson, Biel, and witness went in Dunn's taxi car. The ear was taken out of Weaver's garage by Biel nnd witness, and Thomson entered it in Church Street. The car went on to Wellington. Biel drove from Mastorton to the Summit, where Thomson took the wheel until Moonshine Hill was reached. Here Biel again drove owing to his having been over the road previously. Tliev drove half a mile past where the safe was in order to turn the car. and then drove back. Biol took some things out of the car, and Biel and Thomson went, down to the safe, witness staving with the ear. Some time after this the others came hack, and Biel said. "The safe will he open shortly." A few minutes later a report was heard, and the three of them then went down to thej safe. They found the door blown onpn, and Biel nicked tin the contents, Thomsnn help in it. Witness held a small electric torch during this operation. The money was placed in a handbag (produced 1. Th« three of them were there for the best nart of an hour. The money comprised £112 in gold and £51 7/ or fol 8/ in silver. SOVEREIGNS IN" A COFFEE TIN*. The gold was in a coffee tin similar to the one produced; the silver was strewn about the place; papers and a 1 large exercise book were also taken from \ the safe. The tools were gathered up, hut witness did not take much notice of I what they were. Tbe safe was covered over, and the party left for home. IX A MOUNTAIN' HUT. Tlie party stopped nt the summit of the Rimutakas in front of a hut, and the contents of the bag were emptied on I the floor of the hut. Witness counted the gold in five heaps of twenty and one of twelve. Thomson and Biel counted the silver into fifty-one pound heaps, and 7/ or 8/ were left over. OXE HEAP FOR "MR. X." When all was counted tbe money was divided into four parts. Witness took; one of the five heaps of gold, containing i twenty sovereigns, and put it in his; handkerchief; the others took a heap' each, but Biel took one extra for "Mr. X." The silver was divided similarly. The papers were burnt in the fireplace in the hut. Thomson, however kept the exercise book because "it would come in handy as a day book." After they divided the money the car was driven to Mastcrton. On the Friday night witness met Thomson near tbe post office. Gunn came up and asked witness if he was \ going to "shout." Witness said he had nothing to ''shout" them with. Gunn! said, "Yes you have. Eric (Biel) brought some from Carterton to-day." Thomson and witness then went round to witness' place in Gunn's car. They were there from about 9 o'clock till 11. Biel came into the house later on. The silver taken from the safe was dusted with a white powder. " MR. X." AGAIN". To Mr. Xoble: Thomson was not with them on January 7. Witness took no part in the breaking and entering. Biel and ""Mr. X" did that. Witness was in the car all the time about fifty yards away, and could not say whether Biel or "Mr. X" had done the breaking- and entering. Witness assisted to take the safe to the car, a hand-barrow being used. Mr. Xoble: So you took no part at all in the breaking and entering? You merely assisted in removing the safe. Witness: Yes. On the first occasion it was "Mr, X" and Biel and on the second it was Thomson and Biel?—"Yes." ■ .So that really the only part you took in the. affair was to take your share of the money. CREDIBILITY OF WITXESS. Further cross-examined, witness stated that after the distribution of the money he had never seen any of it in Thomson's possession. Counsel detailed a number of statements witness had made to Detective Lewis, all of which witness admitted were untrue. Mr. Xoble: So when it suits you, you don't stick at telling an untruth* You have admitted eight of them to nw. Witness: Yes. Then your statement that you took no part in the breaking into the rooms or blowing open the safe might not. be true ilther.—-It is true. If Biel says to the contrary, he is lying?— Yes. " Eva Carmichael, wife of Percy Martin farmicbael. corroborated the evidence of her husband, and Constable Phillips concerning the visits of Gunn and Thomson in her house in Chapel Street. Alexander Issac Hoy. formerly barman at Blaiilojjie Hotel, gave evidence concerning the visit of Thomson and Bid to his bar. and said that Biel had changed £8 worth of silver for notes and a civereign. This; closed the case for the prosecu-