SENSATIONAL ARREST.

Auckland Star, Volume LVI, Issue 133, 8 June 1925, Page 8

SENSATIONAL ARREST.

CRIPPLED SAFE-BLOWER.

LIKE A MOVIE VILLAIN. PATHETIC FIGI'RE IX DOCK. (Prom Oar Own Torres ..lent ) SYDXEY, .lune 4. Rushing in a motor car to the srene of an explosion Hot far oil. Sidney detectives made a sensational litres; .„. Sunday evening. Near tn a sale which had just been blown, they "eovel'i'd" with their revolvers a man who last October had his right hand blown ..IT and rijiht eye blown out when some explosives he was carrying exploded prematurely.

The man, well known to the police was taken to the (en( nil Police Station and charged. A constable on bent duty heard the explosion, and lie immediately informed his station, then mounting guard over the premises. A party of detectives was hurriedly collected, and went to the spot in a high-powered car. The car was driven at its utmost speed, dodging through trallic and tearing around corners at an alarming rate. The police clambered up the narrow- staircase of the building, picking their way with the aid of little circles of light flashed by their lurches. They reached the .second storey, and then, groping through the fumes which had arisen from the explosion,, they made a search of the various rooms. Quietly they pushed open the door of an end room, and were met with a.l amazing scene. The interior of the room wns fi]b'.l with pungent dynamite fumes, and the room itself was littered with paper and book fragments. In a corner against the wall lay a safe with its door blown completely off. It was apparent that the force of the explosion had been tremendous. Simultaneous with the entry of the police a man sprung through the window lending out to the verandah roof, and ma.lo a desperate effort to escape. The police were hot on his heels. With the armless sleeve of his coat (lapping loosely nt bis side, the man rushed frantically over tlie slippery roof tops. On the detectives levelling their revolvers at him, the man sat down on ihe roof, and covered his face with his uninjured hand. In a moment be looked down at bis captors, and exclaimed, "All right, you've got mc again." He then came to the edge of the verandah, and, with almost incredible agility, wound bis one useful arm to a post and slid to the ground. A subsequent examination of the interior of the premises disclosed that in a separate room another safe had been packed with explosive, ready to be blown open. The arrested man, in October lust, was picked up Outside a suburban hotel dreadfully injured as the result of an explosion. Housebreaking implements were fond in his pockets. ' He was seriously ill for weeks, and then stood bis trial, the magistrate stating that he was extending leniency to the prisoner because of his terrible injury. He had his hand blown off and his right eye was also destroyed. He told the police that cigarette ash fell on explosives he was carrying. Kcginald Les. McLeod (37), a labourer, was charged at the Sydney Police Court on Monday with breaking and entering the warehouse of Davis and Sons, Proprietary, with intent to steal. He presented a pitiablo figure in the charge dock. A "frail, crippled figure, lie appeared to feci his position keenly. A remand was granted, and bail in £200 allowed.