BURGLARIES AND MOTOR THEFTS.

Auckland Star, Volume LIII, Issue 194, 17 August 1922, Page 7

BURGLARIES AND MOTOR THEFTS.

TWO COLOURED MEN CHARGED EXTENSIVE ROHBERIES ALiLEIiJiU. Before .Mr. Poynton. S.M.. in the Police Court to-day. Archie Taylor (515) and Charles Murpliv (2-1). botli coloured men. were charged in company with (1) on July 14, 1!12'2. having broken into and entered the Miop of Percy Kowler, Mount Albert Road, and stole' tobacco, cigarettes, pipes, patent leather soles. 15/ in money, a screw-driver and hammer, six pound* of tea. etc., to the value of LV.\; (2) on July 18 having broken into and entered ;he shop of Walter (iambic Mulhollaml, Royal Oak. and stolen therein tobacco and cigarettes valued at £14; (3) \f>n July 9 broken into the store of Denis Kogers, (ireen Lane, and stolen tobacco, cigarettes, razors, pipors, and hair clippers valued at £50; (4) on July 21, broken inio thu store of Wallace and Co., at Pokeno, and stolen a safe, cigar- I ; ettes and toba.co, boots, jewellery, £G0 ] :in money, cheques and debentures, '.o j a tolal value of £4:>li: (, r i| ( in July 20, ' having stolen a motor car valued at : £700, the property of X. H. Hanna; 16) !on July IS. having stolen a motor ear valued" at £150, the property of j Ambury'e. Ltd.; 171 on July 14. having stolen a motor itir valued at £201), the property of William Sinclair; (S| on I July 14. having sfilen a motor cor I valued at £3">o. lbs properly of John Owen (iardner. There waa a furl her charge against Murphy of having broken : into the -bop of John VicaretafT ami stolen a glass-rutting diamond, valued at £1. Evidence was given by several witnesses concerning burglaries on their ' premises, and by others concerning the theft of their car*. Pieces of the safe that had been removed from the Pokeno store and -blown open with gelignite <>n the Mopes of Pokeno Hill were produced to the Court, and a witness identified one of the stolen motor cars us a similar model to that seen by him outside Wallace's store at the time of the burglary. 1 Another witness. Charles Smith, ' farmer, of Raznrback Hill, declared that on the night uf the Pokeno burjilary he heard the noise of a motor-car ami three i explosions. Just after daybreak , the younger accused, Murphy, came to hie house and said he would give him "half a quid" if he would bring a horse and ' pull his motor-car out of the mud, where 'it was stuck. Witness pulled the car out jof the mud ami Murphy gave him a ! pound note for his services. He did not J see any sign of the other man, Taylor. ! The car witness pulled out of the "mud was a similar one to that he had been shown outside tlie Court that morning. ■ Louise Michaels, proprietress of a restaurant in Orey Street, stated that Taylor was in her dining room on the morning of July 21. when he informed i her that he had given the waitress some I money to mind. A little later he said. "I had better give you some more," and he handed her , a £20 note. The money was all put into a box, and when Mr. Hyman, Mr. Singer's clerk, called, the amount was found to be £30. The money was handed to Mr. llyman, who gave a receipt for it. Krnest James Schofield, a motor mechanic, said that at 7.4.) p.m. he saw Mr. llanna'fi car- which he knew had been stolen, standing in the Broadway. Shortly I after he saw Murphy come out of a 1 garage with a tin of henziue. When Murphy-saw him he took fright and ran away, but witness overtook and detained him. Murphy said: "Have a heart and i let mc go. If T am caught I will be sent !up for a stretch. I took the job on for fifty bob because my wife and I were starving." Witness handed him over to the police. There were two suit cases j and a tin of benzine in the car.