HALL STRUGGLE.

Auckland Star, Volume LXXI, Issue 157, 4 July 1940, Page 8

HALL STRUGGLE.

COURT SEQUEL

MIDNIGHT INCIDENT.

SENSATIONAL STORY.

CHARGES AGAINST LABOURER.

A sensational story of a struggle between the caretaker of St. Paul's Church, Symonds Street, the caretaker's wife and an alleged intruder in the hall helow the church shortly before midnight on June 13 was told by the caretaker to Mr. J. Morling, S.M., in the Police Court this morning, when a labourer, Leo Douglas Morpeth, aged 29, appeared in the dock on a series of charges.

Morpeth, for whom Mr. K. C. Aekins appeared, was charged with being a rogue and vagabond, being found without lawful excuse in St. Paul's Church; breaking and entering a place of worship, St. Paul's Church, and stealing 10d; and assaulting Garnet Botrioid Jonee so as to cause him actual bodily harm. Morpeth was further charged with the theft, from the People's Palace Private Hotel, on June fi, of a suit of clothes, gold watch, silver chain and pendant, of a total value of £8 10/. the property of Thomas Harrison; the theft of a book of art union tickets valued at £1, on June 12; the theft of four cheque forms, worth 3d, on June 13; and, on June 13, with making a false cheque for £25.

Marked Coins. The caretaker of St. Paul's Church, Garnet Botfield Jones, said he lived below the premises with bis wife and family. There were six alms boxes in the church. Each was s-even feet in depth and e.vtendcd from the church to the hall below. On February 2.5 witness found that all the money had been taken from the alms boxes. Later witness placed marked pennies in the boxes and on May 25 he found that all the silver had been taken but the pennies had been left stacked in neat heaps. After that he marked silver coins as well as some pennies. On June 6 he found that the silver, including the narked silver, had been stolen. He once more placed marked coins in the boxes, and four days later found that these had disa peered.

On June 13 witness decided to keep watch on the alms boxes and at 10.30 p.iri. he took up a position in the hall 97 feet from the alms boxes, after bolting the door on the outside and inside. "About 11.30 p.m. I heard a noise and saw accused walking through the hall with purposeful step." continued Jones. 'Accused was dressed in his shirt iind trousers and was in his stockinged feet. His sleeves were rolled up. He flashed an electric torch rapidly but not for long. After going to the cloakroom which was about IS feet from me. life got a stepladdpr, kept in the cloakroom. I use the etepladder to get up to the alms boxes to clear them. I saw him go to one of the alms boxes and then I heard the handling of money. I went to my quarters, aroused my wife, and went with her back to the hall, after telling my son to go for the police."

"I Am The Police!" "Returning to the hall, I saw accused carry the stepladder back to the cloakroom. I went to the cloakroom and clos-ed the door on him. He placed the steps against the partition and he tried to get over it. I then opened the door and said to accused, 'The police are here!' Accused said, 'I am the police.' He shone his torch in my face and said, 'What are you doing here? Who are youV I told accused I was the caretaker. He tried to pnsh paet me in the doorway and I grappled with him and croesbuttocked him on- his back on the floor. I tried to pin him in that position, but he hit me several quick blows on the head and face with his torch. I asked my wife to try and get the torch from him. The next thing, my wife and I and accused were ail mixed up on the floor, and you couldn't tell 'tother from which. (Laughter).

"When I told the accused he was hitting me on the head, lie -aid to me, 'Yes, there'll Ik> nyirder done here to-night.' I wanted to get hold of one of his legs when he pushed my wife back by kicking with his other leg. As I wax struggling with his leg, I .realised the hopelessness of my position as I was afraid of the torch damaging the left side of my face, which was injured in a previous accident. So I sprang to my feet and the accused did the same. While I was struggling with him, I heard coins dropping on the floor. The blood was running down mv face.

Hit With Torch. "As accused went for the door, I grappled with him again. When my wife was able to distinguish accused from me, she hit him on the head with the torch which she had taken from him in the scuffle."

"Accused," continued Jones, "then stopped struggling and shouted, 'Hey, cut that out, you are hitting me over the head!' My wife said to him, 'Look what you have done to him, you beast!' Accused said, 'I didn't mean to hurt him. It is only a soft torch. I'm not a bed man. I only came in here to have a lie down. I found the door open at the other end of the hall and I just came in." Witness 6aid that Sergeant Taylor then arrived and arrested accused. Outside the hall, close to the door, was found a gold watch on a ledge, and a coat and pair of shoes. Accused claimed the coat and shoes as his property. Detective-Sergeant McHugh: How do you think accused got into the hall as the door was locked and bolted? Through a fanlight about 12 feet from the ground.

On being shown four pennies and two threepenny pieces witness identified these coins because of marks which he had placed on them.

(Proceeding.)