MAN INJURED IN CHASE

Press, Volume LXXIII, Issue 21991, 15 January 1937, Page 9

MAN INJURED IN CHASE

SHOTS FIRED BY DETECTIVES TWO ARRESTS MADE | i SENSATIONAL INCIDENT AT rOKENO (PHESS ASSOCIATION TELEGKAM.) AUCKLAND, January 14. Charges arising out of a sensational incident at Pokeno on the morning of December 5, when a man was shot when running away from armed detectives, were heard before Mr Wyvern Wilson, S.M. A salesman, Clement Robert Lawson, aged 25, and a labourer, George Frederick Murphy, aged 40, were both charged with breaking and entering by night the shop of the Farmers' Trading Company at Pokeno, with intent to commit a crime. Both men, were further charged with having in their possession by night and without lawful excuse instruments of housebreaking, and Murphy alone was charged with knowingly having in his possession two plues of gelignite and five detonators, with intent to commit a crime. Detective-Sergeant McHugh prosecuted, and Mr J. J. Sullivan appeared for both accused. Reginald Ewart Woodcock, manager at Pokeno for the Farmers' Trading Company, said there were two stores on the company's property. The windows and doors of both were secured when the witness left on the evening of December 4. When he returned next day he found the lock of the bulk store missing and the door open. As far as he could see nothing was missing. The safe was in.the main store overnight. Detective -Hunt said that on the evening of December 4 he was engaged in patrolling in a police car, accompanied by Detective Brown, Detective Wilson, and Detective Mahood. They left the car at Pokeno, made an inspection of the township, and about 11.30 p.m. sat down under a hedge on the Pokeno-Thames road. About 1.30 a.m. the witness saw three men coming along the road from the Thames direction. When they passed the detectives one, of the men went tojhe.reay j>t Jthe jnain store, while

others went to the front and examined the lock on the The two men then rejoined the third man at the back, and witness could see a torch being flashed on the building. An inspection of the side of the building followed, and the men then walked away, Ten minutes later they returned. When they were at the back of the main store the witness heard a noise as if iron were being forced, off the building. , The men then went to the bulk store, and the witness could hear the door being forced and opened. The men entered the building, emerged after a short period returned to the main building, and then started to walk along the road in the direction of the detectives.

"When they were nearly opposite me, I stepped out, and called upon them to stop, saying, 'Police,'" Detective Hunt said. "They stopped for a moment, and then went off in different directions. I two shots of my revolver in the air. and again called upon them to stop." Detective Hunt saw one man, later identified as Lawson, stop when Detective Brown approached him. Detective Mahood chased another to the right. Detective Wilson followed a man on the witness's left, and the witness joined in the chase. Another shot in the air from the witness's revolver was ineffective, and the witness ran round the front of the store to head a man off. When Detective Wilson was about three or four feet behind a man both appeared to trip and fall. Witness added that at the same time he heard a gun discharge. When he caught up, Detective Wilson was on top of the man, and had his arms pinned down. . The man, who was accused (Murphy), said: "It's all right. You know me." Murphy, who was wearing red rubber gloves, made no complaint at the time that he was hurt. It was not until threequarters 'of an hour later, when the witness had returned from a vain search with Detective Mahood for the third man, that he knew he was hurt. Everything was done to make him comfortable, and he was later sent to hospital. '„ ~. Cross-examined by Mr Sullivan, the witness said he believed Detective Wilson shot Murphy. Corroborative evidence was given by Detective Wilson. When pursuing Murphy the witness fired two shots m the air; but Murphy went on. A little later Murphy appeared to stumble, and at the same time the witness tripped and fell to the ground. As he fell he remembered his automatic being accidentally discharged. The witness jumped on to Murphy, and? pinned him down. At the time Murphy made no mention of beiti* shot, nor did witness know that he had been injured. Cross-examined by Mr Sullivan, the witness said he did not intend to use the gun on Murphy at any time. Both the accused pleaded not guilty, and were committed to the Supreme Court for trial. "The nature of the evidence and of the charges makes it unwise to allow bail," said the magistrate, in refusing an application by Mr Sullivan.