THEFT OF FITTINGS FROM HOUSE.

Press, Volume LXIX, Issue 20918, 27 July 1933, Page 7

THEFT OF FITTINGS FROM HOUSE.

CONCEALMENT BY ARSON ALLEGED. ' (PBIBS A3BOCI4TZO3T TELtaa.Ut.) NEW PLYMOUTH, July 26. Frederick John Cowling was charged to-day with stealing in or about May, 1932, four doors and seven window sashes, valued at £9 15s, the property of the New Zealand State Advances Department. "Is it one of the circumstances of this case that this was a case of theft concealed by arson of the building?" the Magistrate asked Detective Meiklejohn. Detective Meiklejohn: Yes, sir. This decided the Magistrate, who said that he would not bear the charge summarily. The evidence of Sergeant McGregor, Detective Kearney, and Gibson, a foreman builder, was heard, and the case was then adjourned till Friday. The police story was that a house previosly occupied by Mr Parkes in Westown, a suburb, had been burned. Armed with a search warrant, the police visited Cowling's house and questioned him regarding the doors and window sashes in his house. Cowling had had his own house built after the fire. Cowling was hostile to the police regarding some of the doors and windows. He said that he built them himself and bought the others, but refused to say where he purchased the timber. Cowling was also questioned regarding tubs and other fittings. Cowling's solicitor was summoned, and the police removed the doors and window sashes. The foreman builder who had supervised the building of Parkes' house and later Cowling's house, said he had indents fled some of the doors and sashes taken from Cowling's house as those he had built into Parkes' house.