ONEHUNGA BURGLARY.

Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 248, 19 October 1928, Page 8

ONEHUNGA BURGLARY.

MAORI BEFORE THE COURT.

COMMITTED FOR TRIAL,

The Onehunga burglary which occurred on Wednesday night, October 3, was investigated at the Onehunga Court this morning, when a Maori named William Mathews, better known as '-Brandy - ' Mathews, was arraigned before Messrs. J. E. Lowell and J. E. Green, J.P.'s, and charged with breaking and entering the premises of Mr. C. A. Osborne in Princes Street West and stealing one fountain pen worth £1 and lid in cash. Charlotte Mary Young, the iirst witness, said that she was returning home from the pictures when she saw a light in Mr. Osborne's shop, and, on looking through the window, she saw two men inside near the safe, behind the counter. She could not identify them. They wen. kneeling down together. She could not see their faces. They were muttering together, but she could not hear what they said. She kept watch while she dispatched a boy for her husband. Boti men remained in the shop. She did not see them leave, and they were still there when her husband arrived, about five minutes after she sent for him. She waited at the side of the shop until other people arrived. Presently she saw a man on the roof between two chimneys. Someone called out, ''He's on the roof." and she replied that he was descending on her side. The man stopped and went over the roof again and descended on the other side. She recognised the accused as the man referred to.

August Young said lie watched tinfront of the shop until a constable arrived with two civilians. He tlici. went to the back of the premises, when ho heard a noi«e like someone walking on tin. He next saw a man come om of a small window and go on to the roof. Witness called out, "There lie is. Brandy the Maori." The accused came down and was handed over to a constable, who searched him and found on him a. fountain pen, a claw-hammer, two pieces of coloured glass and a piccc oi steel.

In answer to the accused witness said he did not tell the constable that lie saw Leslie Duff come ont of the window.

Confirmatory evidence was given bv two sons of Mr. \oung, one of whom went up the roof and found the accused, who, on his advice, got down.

Charles Alfred Osborne said that he locked up his shop about 5.30 p.m. on October 3. a'nd no one had a right to go there without his knowledge. When he returned to the shop about 10.30 p.m. he heard someone knock over a tin. He enteredghe front door with the constable and turned on the lights. A door leading out of the shop into a kitchen at th« back had lieen broken open. The tenant was absent at the time. He recognised the fountain pen produced as liis property. The piece of coloured glass was similar to that in the panel of the door leading into the shop. Two coppers (produced) had been left on the counter when he closed the shop and these had disappeared.

Evidence was also "iven hv Constnlil ■ Wilks and Messrs. W. Hayward and T. Kemp.

The accused was formally committed to the Supreme Court for trial.