ARMED WITH BOMB

Press, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20551, 20 May 1932, Page 15

ARMED WITH BOMB

, —♦ ARREST OF A RUSSIAN SEAMAN. TWO OTHERS FOUND IN HIS ROOM. (I'KES3 ASSOCIATION TJELEQBAM.) ' AUCKLAND, May l'J. Three bombs, two of them packed with gelignite and Equipped witli detonators and fuses, are in the hands of, the police following the sensational arrest this afternoon. by Detectives Nalder and Packman of a Russian seaman, George .Sergeeff, aged 42. Ho was charged with knowingly having in his possession a bomb with intent to com"mit a crime. Accused was arrested near Government House, and at the police station he was questioned by Inspector Hollis and Sub-Inspector Gibson. Then'he was taken by detectives to the Sailors' Home, where he had been staying since no arrived in Auckland about April 4th. On searching accused's room Detectivo Nalder discovered a larger bomb with a detonator and fuse already attached, also a third bomb made, like the first one, out of a grease cup. This was filled with sulphur, and had no detonator or fuse. Two of the bombs were packed with • gelignite and had detonators and fuses already fixed. The second bomb found in the Home was about fivo or six inches long, made of iron piping. The arrested man speaks fairly good English, with a Russian accent. Inspector Hollis said that for some days members of the deteetivo staff nad been shadowing certain members of the Communist Party, and this afternoon's arrest was the sequel. Both the bombs filled with gelignite were, in the opinion of the police, sufficiently powerful to blow up a large building. A further search of Sergeeff's room was made by detectives, who discovered further lengths of fuse and additional gelignite. A paper signifying that accused had collected subscriptions to aid the families of strikers now in prison, vvas also found. This /revealed that he had collected 19s Od. Landed at Lyttelton. Sergeeff is maintainipg silence, and he gave no detailed statement to the police. His information to them was confined to a statement that he arrived in New Zealand twelve years ago, leaving a Russian steamer at Lyttelton. This has been corroborated, and it has been learnt that he had a furrier's shop in Lyttelton. It is stated that Sergeeff first came under the notice of the Auckland police about a month ago, when he arrived from the south. He has been to unemployed meetings, and had become a leading figure with a certain section.