CRIME IN MELBOURNE.

Evening Star, Issue 7344, 17 October 1887, Page 3

CRIME IN MELBOURNE.

[From Our Own Correspondent. |

Melbourne for some time past has had a most unenviable reputation for the prevalence of a large amount of crime within its borders, and latterly offence.} have become more numerous and serious than ever. Burglaries are committed daily, and the daring ingenuity of criminals seems to have quite baffled the police. The other day LI.OOO worth of jewellery was removed from Mr Gourlay's shop in Collins street in an extraordinary and alarming manner, and several cafe robberies from railway stations and private establishments have been reported. 'J he police seem to have felt the humiliation of their position, and have bem making extraordinary efforts to break up the gangs of criminals who aro causing so much consternation. Their endeavors to trace particular offences to individuals failing, they determined to seen re some of the worst members of the criminal classes as vagrants* and so put them out of the wsy of harm-doing for some little time at any late. In pursuance of this course upwards of thirty suspicious characters were arrested in the course of a fortnight, and satisfactorily disposed of It was discovered in tho course of investigations that a desperate character in the person of Christopher Farrcll was in the city, and in connection with the arre-t of this individual a most exciting incident has occurred. After a great deal of trouble it was ascertained that Fmell was living in the respectable vicinity if Johnson street, t'oliingwood, and on the morning of the 27th ult. Sergeant-detective Nixon, with other detectives, arranged to surprise their man while he was at home. Soon after nine o'clock Nixon knocked at the frent door of Farrell's house, but received no answer, A forcible entry was suggested, but a better plan was devised—namely, the obtaining of the key of tho front door of the house next door. The key fitted admiiably, and gavo the officers possession of the passage leading through the house. Nixon roused the people in the front bedroom, and the door was opened by Mrs Coleman, wife of John Coleman, a mau forty years of age. who rents the place. In the back room Farrell and another named John Cohen were found. I'arrell was ordered to get up and diess He professed to bo about to do so, but in a moment pulled a six-chambet cd revolver from his waist bolt and fired a shot at Nixon, who was standing close up to the bed. The bullet lodged in some papers in Nixon's pocket, just under his rght breast, which was blackened with the force of tho blow of tho bullet. Tho papo-s in his pocket stopped the course of the bullet, but it left a distinct hole in his coat and vest, as well as in the papers. Immediately the shot was fired Nixon and Detective Ward, who accompanied him, seized hold of the desperate fellow, who had evidently fully made up his mind not to be taken without a stubborn resistance, and some difficulty was experienced in dragging the weapon from him. At one moment it seemed as if he would be able to discharge another cartridge at Nixon, for ho exclaimed during the tussle: "Now, I've got you." Detective Ward promptly hastened to Nixon's assistance, and Farrell was soon overpowered. Just as the struggle ended the other detectives rushed in, hearing the shot and fearing that a comrado might be wonnded or killed. The pressure that Ward applied to the criminal's throat in the struggle brought blood froely from the left ear, whilst Nixon was on top of him, holding the right hand and preventing Farrell from pulling the trigger. The man Cohen, who bad his clothes on, and was lying on a couch in the same room, sat quietly throughout the struggle, neither attempting to escape nor assist either side. After tho encounter the old criminal made a remark to the effect that he was sorry he had not shot Ward. Nixon was in doubt as to the of tho shot until he pulled open hU clothes, and then, much to his satisfaction, found that the ball had not penetrated his body, but had been so close as to leave a small red mark just under the ribs in the contre of a blaok and blue pitch, which showed itself on the skin almost immediately. He felt nono the worse for the shock, and was indeed the coolest of his adventurous party. Tho two criminals were then handcuffed together and brought to the police station. A search disclosed the presence of a variety of burglars' took in Farrell's bed tied up in a piece of black netting, which might be suitable for mask purposes. There were also a number of skehton keys, an American brace and bits for boring either iron or wood, knives and " jemmies" cf different kinds, and a red - white - and - blue lantern. A portion of the proceeds of the robbery of a store in North Fitzroy, consisting of hams, jams, pick'es, and preserved moats and fruits, was recovered in ditfeient parts of tho place. Farrell, who is said to be a Tasmanian convict, is known as one of the most expert and dosperate criminals \vhb ever visited Sydney or Melbourne. He was sentenced to ten years' imprisonment in I,S. r >!) for highway robbery at Heathcote, and whilst awaiting bis trial made an attempt to escape from the Kilmore Gaol, which was only prev* nted by the timely firing of a gun on him by the warder. The other'man who was taken with him at the time, both haviusrevolvtrsin their possession, got asentence of eight years. After serving thissentonce, Farrell wentovertoSydney. where hecontjuued his career of crime, and served a numb r of scot'eiices. Farrell and Coleman are the' men suspected of having brutally assaulted Horatio Bunting in Carlton some six weeks ago. The circumstances of this caso were that two men entered the house of Mr Bunting during the night in mistake for that of a bookmaker who lived next door, and began a search of the premises for money. Mr Bunting was in bed with an invalid wife; and was cautioned'by the burglars to keep still. He would noi, however, and was struck over the bead with a loaded stick and nearly killed. A weapon auswer ng the description of the stick Mr Bunting was'hit with was found in Farrell's room. ... , •

No less than six burglaries were committed in ono night recently. A most systematic attempt was made to Ijreak into tlje loan office of Simon Kozminsky at the corner of Bourke and Klizabeth streets, but the burg'ars were surprised in their operations so suddenly that they had to decamp, leaving tho most complete set of housebreaking tools which have fallen into tho hands of the police. They first of all broko into rooms above the loan office and cut through a flight of stairs, but a large gas-pipa stood in their way, and they then stai ted boring through tho ceiling of tho loan office, and were engaged in penetrating the iron lining when they were interrupted. Two residences in Koyal Park were visited by a burglar, who was observed by the occupants of each house just as he was slipping out of a window. He had helped himself to a considerable amount of money and jawollery. The residence of J. D. Josephß, hat manufacturer, Collingwooc], was broken into and li7o wintVi of jewellery abstracted. In the Wheatsheaf Hotel, Fiizroy, thejflandladyl (Mrs Dwyer) came across a man who was rifling a box he had forced open. She slammed the door on him and' kept him in the room for a time, and after he had succeeded in forcing his way out she held on to him until hei husband came. Three associates or the robbei then made their appearance from the bar, but in the meantime neighbors arrived, and the f oui were given into custody. The other case is the robbery of L 67 from the Surrey Hills railwaj station by the booking-clerk's brother.

At four o'clock in the afternoon, in a leading thoroughfare at Clifton Rill, two men broke the parlor window of a house and entered. The door of the room being locked on the outside, the; took it off. They then ransacked the house, and, failing to find money and valuables, wantonly ripped up the horaeha r furniture. The vetttry of St. Francis's Roman Catholic Church, was broken into on the night of Sunday, the 2nd inst., and an attempt made to open a safe about 4ft 7in high, and weighing about Bcwt. It was removed from the corner in which it stood to the centre of the vestry by means of rollers improvised from brass candlesticks ; the outer caßing was stripped off, and the atbestos, packed between the inner and outer platen, abstracted. An attempt seems then to have been made to force off the front plate, but without avail. For want of time the burglars were unable to proceed any further, so they left the following apologetic inscription on the tafe, written with a piece of candle: "No time; four hours," The safe contained several silver chalices and other valuable articles. A very impudent robbery was perpetrated at the Spencer street railway station the previous day. There was a bit of a rush for tickets on account of a race meeting, and after it was over the- cashier (Mr A. Morton) placed a bundle of notes on a ledge near'the window, with the view of calculating the takings. A man went and asked for a ticket, and during the moment that Mr Morton was engaged in taking the ticket out of the rack a hand was thrust through the window and twenty LI notes were abstracted. Mr Morton gave the alarm immediately, but the thief had made good his retreat. At Toorak recently the storeroom of Mr E. M. Bolger was literally cleared of its contents; the goods being removed by Mr Bolger's own horse and trap, which were subsequently returned. .