VAN AND SAFE

Evening Post, Volume CXXVIII, Issue 4, 5 July 1939, Page 13

VAN AND SAFE

CURIOUS INCIDENTS

MAN TO STAND TRIAL

A taxi-driver, Thomas Gordon, aged 37, appeared before Mr. J, L. Stout, S.M., in the Magistrate's Court today, charged with the unlawful conversion of a truck valued at £260, and with breaking and entering, on June 21, the office of Barton Ginger, Ltd., and committing theft. After evidence had been heard Gordon pleaded not guilty to both charges, and was committed to the Supreme Court for trial.

Detective-Sergeant W. McLennan prosecuted, and Mr. M. G. Neal appeared for Gordon.

Horace Baden Ginger, director of the firm of Barton Ginger, Ltd., said that at about. 1.45 a.m. on June 22 he visited the firm's premises in Dixon Street, and found that they had been broken into. A motor-van and the safe were missing, and a small cashbox had been forced open. There was no money in the safe, only some papers, of no value to anyone but the firm, and keys. It would cost about £10 to repair the safe.

Constable R. Turner gave evidence about finding the premises broken into.

Francis James Lawson, a fitter, said that he lived at Johnsonville, and was working on the Hutt Road. At about 11 p.m. on June 21 he was walking from his home to the Hutt Road.

As he entered the gorge, said witness, he saw a steel safe lying on its back. There seemed to be cottonwaste packed around the lock, and he saw an apparently unlit fuse protruding. Witness did not see anyone in the vicinity at • the time, and he continued down the gorge towards the Hutt Road. About 10 minutes later he heard an explosion which seemed, by the sound, to be in the vicinity of where he had. seen the safe. Some time later, in company with members of the police force, he returned to where he had seen the safe. He saw a man digging spoil with a shovel, and there was a yellow van close beside him with its lights turned full.on. There was a fire burning close to the van.

Constable J. McConachy, after describing how he had proceeded to the gorge, said that on arrival he noticed a yellow van, with Barton Ginger's name on it, standing with its lights burning. There was a small fire a few yards in front of the van, and by the headlights he saw the accused shovelling some spoil a few yards away from I the fire. He did not appear to be aware of -their presence until they were within about 40 yards of him. When he saw them' he dropped the shovel and ran off, followed by witness and Sergeant Sutherland. The accused ran over a steep bank into the creek bed; where he was caught. On going back to the fire witness found a quantity of papers partly burnt, and on making a search he found two steel bars. In the van he found seven plugs of gelignite. Among the property found on the accused was a detonator. Where the accused had been shovelling the door of the safe was found partly covered with spoil.

When questioned, said witness, the accused said he had no fixed abode, and it was his habit to go for a stroll before getting a bed for the night. He saw the truck on the Hutt Road, and he knew a man who used to work for Barton Ginger, When he saw the truck; lie got into it to wait for this mah to'return. :As" the man did not return he decided to drive the truck away, and drove it to Ngahauranga Gorge. The safe was in; the truck when he found it, and he had taken the safe out of the van himself without assistance. He admitted freely that he had blown the safe. On the way back to the police station the accused pointed "out 'a spot on Thorndph Quay where he said he had picked |lip the van.- •'■■•■ -

Evidence was also given by Sergeant J. Sutherland, Constable W. J. Waters, and Henry Otho Wright, a head mart of a party employed by the Public Works, who stated that he had examined an explosives chest' in the Ngahauranga Gorge the day after the accused was ■ arrested. It had been blown open, and gelignite, detonators, and pliers were missing.

Acting-Detective J. H. Alty described an interview he had had with the accused.