TWO ARRESTS.

Press, Volume LXVII, Issue 20412, 5 December 1931, Page 5

TWO ARRESTS.

POLICEMEN PRAISED. SUSPECT ARMED WITH KNIFE. ' The action, of two police constables who secured the arrest of two suspected men, one -armed with a long knife, and the other only after a thrilling chase on ■ bicycle, on foot, and with the assistance of a motor-car, through the City streets in the early hours of yesterday morning, were referred to by Senior-Sergeant J. Fox, in the Magistrate's Court yesterday morning, when the two men, Arthur Bridge Collyns and Gilbert Summers Towart were before the Court. Collyjis, a porter, of India, whose address was given as 432 Oxford terrace, was charged that on December 4th he was deemed a rogue and vagabond, in that he was found armed with a sheath knife, with felonious intent, and that he was deemed a rogue and vagabond, in that be was found by night, without lawful.excuse,Vith house-break-ing implements in his possession. Gilbert Summers Towart, a club steward, aged 28, of Western terrace, was charged that on December 3rd he unlawfully converted to his own use a Dodge motor-car, valued at £3OO, the property of Herbert Soanes. "The facts of the charges will disclose that two constables did particularly good work in arresting these men," said, the Senior-Sergeant, "and while I am not in the habit of giving praise, I think that such efforts as theirs should be encouraged. "At about 1.20 o'clock this morning Constable JI. Wells saw a man, the accused Collyns, in a right-of-way at the rear of the Regent Theatre. The constable interrogated Collyns, but he did not answer the questions satisfactorily. Collyns refused to turn out his pocketß, but the constable insisted, and found that accused was in possession of a chisel—chisel marks had later been discovered on the door of the Federal Club, from which furniture, which was found in a car later abandoned by the accused Towart, had been stolen. "Then Cpllyns put his hand in another pocket, but quickly withdrew it and hid something behind his back," said the Sergeant. "The constable then secured Collyns's hand and found that he had withdrawn from a sheath concealed in hjs clothes a long sheath knife. There was a struggle for the possession of the knife, but the constable threw the man, handcuffed him, and then removed him to : the • Police Station." Cliase Through. Streets. Constable Wells had seen a motor-car parked 1 in the right-of-way behind the Theatre, but had been unable to attend to it, the .Sergeant continued. However, w,hen he .returned to the station, Constable L. Schraft was sent to the locality on a bicycle, and saw the motor-car, which he recognised as one reported missing that evening, backing out of the right-of-way, land gave chase up Victoria street. Fortunately the constable secured , the assistance of a motorist, a-M* Blackburn, and there followed a long chase at a terrific speed through the streets. Finally the pursuing car ran out of petrol, but Constable Schraft, continuing the chase on foot, ran 'into Belfast Btreet, where the man, evidently thinking that he had eluded the police, had abandoned the the car he was driving and had set off:; down Belfast street. He had not gone far when he ran into tho arms of another constable and was arrested. He proved (to sbe the accused, Towart, who had been s?en > in company with Coliyns earlier in the evening. In the cst which he had been driving were found goods stolen from the rear of the Federal Club." Collyns and Towajrt, who were represented by counsel, were each remanded until December 11th, bail of £3OO, with sureties totalling £?00, being allowed.