ROOF ARREST.

Auckland Star, Volume LXV, Issue 190, 13 August 1934, Page 8

ROOF ARREST.

DRAMATIC STORY.

MAN WITH REVOLVER

ALLEGED ATTEMPT TO FIRE

TEN BURGLARIES ADMITTED,

A dramatic story of a struggle which took place on the night of July 31 on the steep corrugated iron roof of Carry and Beale's premises, Queen Street, between Detective S. C. Whitehead, a civilian and a young armed burglar, was told in the Police Court this morning when Colin William Glass, aged 21, a labourer, appeared. Glass was charged with breaking and entering the following premises and stealing the money or articles specified: John Griffith Bell, Ponsonby Road, £5; City Boot Stores, Karangahape iioad, £9 in money and postal notes and jewellerv valued at £4 10/; office of Thompson i.nd Hills, Nelson Street, £2 in cash and jewellerv valued at £120; H. and C. Lamb, Ltd., Karangahape Road, with. intent to commit theft; shop of H. A. Dearth, Karangahape Road, with intent to commit theft; countinghouse of the Bank of New South Wales, Newmarket, a .38 calibre revolver and five cartridges; warehouse of Koefoeds, Ltd., Newmarket, £2; warehouse of Burke and Company, 12, Kingston Street, 1/3; warehouse of McKower and Mcßeath, Ltd., with intent to commit theft; countinghouse of Frank Waldron, Elliott Street, postal notes valued at £3; and stealing from the dwelling of Jessie Hahn. 340, Oucen Street, jewellery valued at £3 n/3. Glass was further charged that on Julv 30, with intent to do grievous bod'ilv harm, he attempted to discharge at Detective S. C. Whitehead a loaded revolver, and that on the same date he was found unlawfully in possession of a firearm. Senior Detective Hall prosecuted and Mr. W. Noble appeared for accused. Much time was taken up in hearing the evidence of the many witnesses who gave evidence against accused respecting the burglary and theft charges. Seen on the Roof. James Ridolph Jurie, proprietor of Oceanic Fisheries, 330, Queen Street, said that 5.30 p.m. on July 30 he was in the vard at the rear of his shop when he saw a man on the roof of his shop and asked him what he was doing there. The nTan said: "Ssh. Ssh. I'm one of the police. I'm watching somebody, I'm keeping an eve on somebody."

Witness asfced the man his name and he replied: "I'm Detective Hunt." As the result of this conversation, Jvrie ssid, he telephoned the detective office, and a few minutes later Detectives Whitehead and Slater arrived at his shop. The man was nowhere to be seen. Witness and the detective searched tho yards in the vicinity, but could not see anyone. "Detective Whitehead and I then made a search of the roofs while Detective Slater watched below," said June. "On looking up, I saw the outline of a man against the electric of Barry and Beale, and I told Detective Whitehead, who went after the man on the roof. I followed. The man was in a crouching position against the electric sign. Whitehead put his electric torch on the man, who was accused. The detective told him to stand up. I saw Detective Whitehead take a small brown paper parcel from accused's coat pocket. He handed it to ma.

"I then saw accused put his hand somewhere inside his coat and pull out a revolver," said Juric. "Accused pointed the revolver' at Detective Whitehead, saying, "Stick them up or I'll well shoot yon." ... "I Heard the Click." "Detective Whitehead then tried to take the revolver from accused. Between the time accused told the detective to 'stick them up' and when Detective Whitehead caught hold of his arm, I heard the revolver click. Detective Whitehead then fell on accused, and I jumped on him and tried to get the revolver from him." Senior Detective Hall: Why did you do that? —Because he tried to shoot the detective. He tried to bring his arm around to do it, but before he could do it I grabbed the revolver from his hand. It accidentally went off. Witness said accused and the detective were both lying together on tho roof. While he was about to hand the revolver to the detective, Glass made to strike him, so witness hit him a couple of blows on the eye. These dazed him, hut he soon recovered. Witness then assisted the detective to hold accused. Glass said, "If it had not been for that hi? b —, I would have shot you both." Jurje said he thought accused was referring to the detective. Mr. Noblo: Did Glass take the revolver out of his coat, or did Detective Whitehead ?---Accused did himself. Are yqu sure Glass said "Stick them up ?"—Yes. Are you sure you did not hear such a remark at the pictures?-—No, ho used it all right. He said "Stick thorn up or I'll --—-well shoot you." Sounds like the sort of language Buck Jones, tho actor, uses ? —Yes, only worse ! than that. Mr. McKean; Do they use such language in the pictures, Mr. Noblo?—No, nit 1 thought that this man, being a foreigner, may have made a mistake. Jurie; I understand quite well what was said all right. (Laughter.) "Stick Them Up."

Detective Shirley C. Whitehead said he first saw accused sitting on a ridge on the roof of Barry and Beale's. Askocl what he was doing there, Glass called out, "Hasn't a man any right to be on this roof?" Witness said that to get up on this roof he had to climb up two walls about oft high. He found accused in a. sitting position facing down Queen Street. ''As I approached him on the side of the roof 1 told him I was from the Police Department," added the detective. "On gainjng the top of tlie roof I leaned against the framework of the electric sign in front of Glass. I was shining my torch on his face, and asked him what his business was, I noticed a brown paper parcel sticking out of his coat pocket. I pulled it out, and found that it. was some day*. By. this tjme June had coin? up on the roof j and was standing slightly at the rear, of accused. I handed the parcel of clay to Jurle, at the same time telling Glass! to stand up. He made no attempt toi do so, but put his'hand'inside his coat' somewhere and withdrew a revolver. He j pointed it at me, saying, 'Stick thenil up. or I'll —— well shoot you,' J

"I caught accused's arm that held the gun, and pushed it away from me. As I did so I slipped on the steep roof, coming down on my knees. 1 lost my hold of accused's arm. I was then right in front of Glass. He brought the revolver round again and levelled it at my chest. As he did this I heard a metallic click which I took to bo the click of the trigger. 1 again grabbed his arm, and pushed it away from mc, still keeping my grip on his arm. I then fell half across his left side. Glass was struggling violently and was trying to free his arm. He was trying to work the gun around, i" nl . v direction. I called to Jurie to hold his head and take the Kirn. I saw Jurie take the gun and then swing it in an upward position. As he did so. it went off, the shot going in the direction of St. James' Theatre. By this time both accused and I had gained our feet. Glass was still struggling violently. June went to hand me the gun. As* he did so, Glass struck at him. Jurie then hit Glass on the left eye.. Glass then said, "If it hadn't been for this big b — taking the gun from me, I would have shot you benh."

Gelignite, Fuse and Mask. "Later," continued the detective, "Senior-Detective Hall, Constable Howe and Detective Slater arrived. The roof was a hip roof, steep on both sides. Glass was escorted from- the roof and taken in a car to tie detective othce. When seaehed he was found to have in his nosscssion the following articles: — Gelignite, lengths of fuse and dotonarubber gloves, a small bottle of glycerine, a blue silk mask, a small pocket knife and an electric torch bulb and two brooches. These he admitted he had stolen from 340, Queen Street. "On examining the revolver at the detective office, 1 found that there were four cartridges in tlse magazine, the fifth cartridge having been fired. After I had taken a statement from Glass the ne:ct day, we were discussing the affair. I said, to Glass: 'You cannot deny that you pulled the trigger that night.' Glass replied: 'Yes, I knew it was quite safe, as I had it on an empty chamber"." "Finished With Crime." In his statement Glass said ho desired to tell the police of any crime he had committed, as he had now finished with crime. He admitted the various burglaries, one of which was at the magazine at the Stone Jug relief works. He broke it open with a pair of pliers and took a quantity of detonators and fuse. On the night of July 12 he went to the Bank of New South Wales in Newmarket, getting into the building by a fanlight. "I took from a bench under the teller's counter a Webley Scott .38 calibre six-chamuereu revolver," said Glass. "This is the one found in my possession." On July 30 he went to the back of the shop at 340, Queen Street, and entered through a back door. He took from a bedroom upstairs two brooches and a small trinket. He left that place by a window, and on to the roof of another shop. Glass pleaded guilty to all charges with the, exqeptou of' the charge of attempting to do grievous bodily harm to Detective Whitehead. He was committed for trial on this couut, and for sentence on the others.