SENSATIONAL ARREST

Evening Post, Volume CVIII, Issue 149, 20 December 1929, Page 9

SENSATIONAL ARREST

NEW EVIDENCE POUND

BROTHERS IN TROUBLE

- (By Telegraph.) . (Special to "The Evening Post.") CHBISTCHUBCH, This Day. Further sensational developments in . connection with the arrest of the Gray brothers in Manchester street on Wed- : nesday are expected. Yesterday's investigations by the detectives have brought to light fresh evidence which should be helpful in "clearing up not only the epidemic of incendiarism, but other serious crimes, and possibly the Hammond shooting ease. ■ Mr. Edward Hammond, the principal of Messrs. Hammond and Turner, who was shot by a burglar when he surprised the intruder in his business • premises in Oxford terrace, was seen by detectives yesterday. It is prob- " able that Mr. Hammond will be asked j to attend an identification parade dur- | ing the holiday period. On Wednesday a search was made of the suspects' home in Antigua street, .the detectives remaining there sonic j time. ' Yesterday Acting-Detective ! Halcrow again, visited the house and took possession of a hacksaw. This will figure as one of tho main exhibits j when the accused men appear for trial. - A hacksaw has played a prominent part r in more than one of the more seri- ■ ous crimes that have been committed in Christchurch during the past - few months. In the case of the Dobson garage, which was twice set alight, it was found on the second occasion that the lock on the door of the petrol store had been, sawn through with a hacksaw. A hacksaw was used, too, when the; thieves entered Hammond and Turner's premises. It will be remembered that Mr. M. J3. Halligan, proprietor of the garage at the rear of Mr. Hammond's place, informed a reporter after that attempt that, in his opinion, two men were concerned. i The revolver which, it" was stated, was found on one of the youths at the time of his arrest, was an old German weapon. It is believed to be a specimen which had been on exhibition at the Christehurch Museum. The daring of the perpetrators of the recent burglaries is emphasised in a discovery which was made by Mr. W. H. Tisdall, of the well-known sporting goods firm, in Cashel street. The sawnoff Ai calibre rifle which was found in the possession of one of the youths . has been identified as one of the rifles which were taken from his shop during the last two weeks. The police have in their possession another rifle similarly sawn off. It was found yesterday that both rifles had been sawn off on Mr. Tisdall's premises. Tho cut-off pieces of each barrel were found in Mr. Tisdall's back yard. The job was not cleanly done, and Mr. Tisdall stated that roughly cut as the rifles were they would make most deadly weapons. Nearly fifty rounds of high-powered «oft-nosed ammunition were also found in .the possession of the suspects. Constable Albert Gillum, who brought off the sensational arrest of the two sus■Jiects on Wednesday morning, is the hero of the hour. He has been busy receiving telegrams of congratulation from friends in and out of the Police ! Force all over the Dominion. On Wednesday a remarkable demonstration in which he was the central figure . occurred outside the Civic Theatre. Constable Gillum was pass- I ing- the theatre just as the crowd was j leaving the Civic. Some friends re- i cognised him, and in a moment he was -surrounded by an enthusiastic crowd who cheered him and wrung his hand.' i Tall and of fine physique, Coustnble Gilluni is a native of Christchurch'. If Constable Gi Hum's capture leads to the clearing up of the "fire-bug" i jcases he will be entitled to the.reward of £.-250 offered some time ago by the insurance companies. Payment of the reward 3s of course subject to the con- ' sent and approval of the Commissioner of Police.