ALLEGED ENTRY.

Auckland Star, Volume LIV, Issue 219, 13 September 1923, Page 7

ALLEGED ENTRY.

THEFT FROM LAUNDRY. ILLEGAL POSSESSION OF EXPLOSIVES. On a charge of having broken into tlie premises of'Clark Moon and Co.. Chinese laundrymen, Hobsou Street. Arthur Hamilton (">1) was to-day committed to the Supreme Court for trial at the October criminal session. The licensee and barman of a hotel stated that on the afternoon of a Sunday in August they were sitting in »! room facing opposite the laundry. Accused came along the street, carrying a white parcel, lie inserted a key | and opened the <loor of tin- laundry, t lie premises being closed. Noon after he emerged, and the li-en-ec went down to the street and chased accused, who ran away. Accused was later identified at the police station. Evidence was given by Senior Detective Ward in regard to a charge of being in possession of a stick of gelignite and a detonator without lawful excuse.! Accused was employed in the kitchen ot a big hotel in the city, and Detective Ward went there to search his effect*. Behind a door in the stall" dressing room the detective found n sugarbag hanging on a nail. Two dirty aprons and one clean apron were in the sack. On unrolling the clean apron he found mc gelignite mid detonator, in a paper parcel, which looked new and fresh. In the sack were three small coloured ornamental candles, and a similar candle was found in accused's pocket when arrested; others were found in his house. Accused: Didn't I tell you to take the finger-prints on those thing-? Detective Ward: Yes: but we couldn't find any. There was a glove in the bag. Accused said that others hnd access to the bag at the hotel. Anyone might have planted the explosives there. .Mr. I". K. Hunt. S.M., reminded accused that he hail admitted ownership of the aprons, and the one in which the explosives were found. The onus of showing why he came to he in possession of the things was thrown on him. ■He would be sentenced to three months in Mount ICden gaol. Chief Detective Cummings: He has already served ten years for burglary. Mr. "Hunt, S.M.: Ar.d live year-. That makes 111 years!