FOUND GUILTY

Evening Post, Volume CXVIII, Issue 23, 27 July 1934, Page 7

FOUND GUILTY

POST OFFICE ROBBERY;

CROSSAN SPEAKS FROM DOCK

ALIBI PLEA FAILS

In spite of-the evidence of .five witnesses touching upon ah alibi, and in spite of some forty minutes', harangue by him from the dock, William. Alexandei Crossan was found guilty in, the Supreme Court. yesterday. of the crime of robbing Percival Hart a! the Adelaide Road Post Office of £61 at rhe\point of a revolver. The jury retired at 5.30 p.m. and at 6.15 announced a verdict of guilty. The prisoner tvas remanded'for sentence. Spectators were numerous and followed the proceedings with the keenest interest Hisv Honour, the Chief Justice (Sir Michael Myers) wat pi; the Bench, Mr. P. S. E- JMaeassey appeared tor the Crown, and Mr. E. Hardk Boys defended Crossan. ' ■■ Continuing his evidence after "The Post" went to press, ■ Phillip Gordon Brazier, proprietor of the "Touch and. Go" boot shop,. wa& cross-examined by; Mi Macassey. ' "What .were you doing in the morning?" asked counsel. "1 can't say—might have been doing half solss and heels," replied, witness. ■ What were you doing in the afternoon?—l was drunk. (Laughter.) Do you remember Detective .Robinson coming in the afternoon?—l have [ a hazy recollection of it. Was one of rooms occupied by_ "Bound-the-world Joe"? —£es. Has tie been convicted?—Ses; of being on a racecourse. : Mr. ilacassey referred to several . other, men with^racy names who occupied rooms in ais premises. '. Uevefal of them had been convicted of crimes, tnusß acknowledged. ".''.- . ' .'. Xon yourself have been, charged-with, ; . arioui offences? , ..:■•'. '-■ ■.. ; \ . .Counsel here read out a list of,- of* ■ eiices—obstructing the police, stowing away sedition, drunkenness, refusing to leave the wharf when ordered-^ all of which witness readily assented, "XOTJCfa AND GO"? 313 Honour: Perhaps that's what'a meant by "Touch and Go?" ■' .'; Witness re-examiiied, said that most of the convictions read out had' been due to his activities aa a Communist. Thomas Weatherburn, barman'at tha Panama Hotel, said that he saw Crossan on the day ot the robßery. Earlier in the day Crosson and MeWeill had been in the hotel—between 12 and ,1 p.m. James Constantino 6aid that the accused came into tha "Touch and Go" boot shop at about 10.30 a.m. on the day of the crime.. He went to the back of the shop. . At about 12.45 p.m. Crossao and McNeill went out. Crossan was clean shaven. Was' there anything unusual about Crossan that day? "He had some money that day," replied the witness hesitating. Cross-examining Mr. Macassey read u> the names of the boarders, including "Round-the-world Joe," as referred to. by Brazier. 1 Witness replied that they were nends of his. ,' Witness said that he had once given foi Brazier to establish an alibi in a theft case. "He was acuitted," said Constantino. . : Patrick Kellj said that he had seen rossan several times before. On the ■lay of the crime he saw. Crossan and UcNeill enter the Panama' Hotel at Jibour' 12.50 p.m. >' . Cross-examined, witness said that ho vat a friend of Brazier's. '.'.'.'./~ Boy William Spencer,.. a prisoner at resent serving sentence, said that, ha had been living in Adelaide Road. On. the day of the, crime he came home for dinner after noon. He went "to tha wrocer's for his mother. Crossing the road he saw a man coming from the post office. When he looked again the man had disappeared. At 6.30 that evening he learned of the robbery. Witness did not know Crossan at that time. He had met him in the remand yard ol Mount Crawford Gaol after July 14. The man had been nothing like Crossan. The man. had worn dark-rimmed spectacles and a light suit, CROSSAN'S HARANGUE. ' A defence' witness, Mrs. Dawson r wa« herb called but did not appear. . Mr. Hardie Boys then closed his case. Crossan then began to make a statement from ' the dock. He spoke for about forty minutes. - : "Fb rather a ncvice at this sort, of thing," began accused. "There's been a lot of evidence b.a to my movements. 1 can account for them over four days. Por sis months before the robbery I had been on sustenance. 1. lespaired of- getting work as a single man. I talked it over with the young lady I was going with. 1 looked for a flat. We decided to get married. I have been in' Adelaide Road many times.. I was there a few days before the robbery. 1 was up there on the. Thursday; '.•«. ... the robbery fixing up about Mrs. Barton's flat I was only once in tho Adelaide Road Post Office. I went-to get three pennies to use the slot telephone. I don't remember seeing • Mr. Hart there, but that may be how ho came to identify me. My girl lent mo £4 for the purpose of paying the rent and getting a Ec- things. If she was well enough'we wert to get married on, the Saturday morning. She had influenza. . . «1 went up to the pakapoo place. - I had a couple of tickets. 1 struck a couple of eights. - 1. looked the flat over on Wednesday night and told Mrs. Barton I'd be bpek on the Thursday. On Friday morning 1 left home' -•omewhere between 9' and 10 and went up town.; F thought I'd drop in at tho' 'Toneh and Go.' I think it was u hout a quartet past text I told them 1 had won £41 at pakapoo. They seemed a bit sceptical, so I showed them the roll. I was wearing these clothes. Three chaps I knew wero there —Brazier. Constantine. and MeNeill Some one slung off about my ■nonstache being off < We talke about races. 'At about a quarter to one I wenti tc the Panama Hotel with MeNeill. Some one had said something about ?oing to lunch. Brazier went to , tha hncl? anf) snirt it was a qnaTtpi to one. Wp lißrl n drink I Tind <sliave3 off my "mo" aoout a -week before. I went Patrick's shop bni.ght o new hat, /ijid took a taxi to Mrs- Barton's flat. I then came to Evans's—anyhow where Mrs Mollny said I bought the blankets ■and took them up to the flat T went to keep the aprinintment wifb the young lady, but she didn't turn up.. I thought she mnst be still in bet! I •net Tor" Pavis who returned the £1' he had borrowed. I am sorry to say we got very drunl' that night. Davis had a parcel when he came up to the ■flat. He was verj touchy about it, I don't know yet what was in it*" The prisoner continued for some tima' longer, concluding by thanking the jury for their attention. The jury returnea a verdict of guilty and the prisoner was remanded foi; sentej.ee.

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