DOORS AND SASHES

Evening Post, Volume CXVI, Issue 23, 27 July 1933, Page 18

DOORS AND SASHES

UNUSUAL THEFT CHARGE

ARSON ALLEGED

(By I'eleßraph.—Press Association.)

NEW PLYMOUTH, July 26.

Frederick John Cowling was charger! at the Police Court this morning with stealing on or about May, 1932, four doors and seven window-sashes valued at £9 15s, the property of the State Advances Department.

"Is it one of the circumstances that this was a case of theft concealed by arson of the building?" the Magistrate asked of Detective Meiklejohn, who replied: "Yes, sir."

This decided the Magistrate, who said that he would not hear the charge summarily. Evidence by Sergeant McGregor, Detective Kearney, and Mr. Gibson, foreman builder, was heard, and the case was then .adjourned till Friday.

Tho police story was that the house previously occupied by a Mr. Parkes, iii Westown suburb, had been burned. Armed with a search warrant, the police visited Cowling's house and questioned Cowling regarding the doors and win-dow-sashes in his house. Cowling had had his own house built after a fire.

Cowling, according to the police evidence, was hostile to the police regarding some of the doors and windows. He made the explanation that he built them himself. He bought others, but refused to say where he purchased the timber. , Cowling was also questioned regarding tubs antl other fittings. Cowling's solicitor was summoned, and the police removed the doors, and windowsashes.

The foreman builder who had super

vised the building., of Mr. Parkes's house and later of Cowling's said that he had identified some of the doors and snshes taken from Cowling's house as those he had > built into Parkes's.