TAUPO ROBBERIES.

Grey River Argus, 12 February 1926, Page 5

TAUPO ROBBERIES.

THREE ARRESTS. Men With a Record. AUCKLAND, Feb. 11. A substantial increase in the amount of the bail allowed by the Justices at Rotorua to three men who were, arrested on Tuesday for theft of benzine at the 'l'eri aces I lot el at. Taupo, was made this evening, when the accused appeared before Mr E. K. Hunt. S.M., at the Auekland Police (''uirt.

The men. Thomas Smith, Reginald Phillips, and James Moyne, had been remanded to Auckland as other serious charges were pending, bail of £5O being granted in each case, but as the accusal were unable to find sureties, they were brought to Auckland by the Roto•ua express and subsequently appeared •it the Police Court. They were charged with theft of benzine and were again remanded. Al ’ NV; rd, who appeared for them, asked tor bail, and th’< was opposed by Chief Detective Cummings, who said two of the men at least were

Known to have come from Australia reently. The men had gone to Taupo roin Hawke's Bay, via Rotorua by motor. Ff Hips alleging that the motor • n which the.v had travelled was his property. A theft had been committed while the men were there, and some of the articles believed to have been stolen had been traced to their ]>ossession. They were at Taupo on the night when large sums of money had been ■lolen from bedrooms in the hotel, and they were found in possession of a sum in the vicinity of £5O, for which they •mild not satisfactorily account. Among the money stolen was an English bankinte, and one of the accused had a note ■if this description in his possession, while one of the men had money eon- , eealed in the toe of his boot.

Moyne admitted he had been convicted in Australia, while Smith admitted he had an Australian record. When bail was asked for, the Magistrate said that, in the circunistanees, he thought the bail formerly granted was insiitlicieut. Phillips having been associateil with the other two, who were known to the police in Australia. Ho remarked that if a. man stole £5O and were given bail of a like amount, the ■nuntry would have no hold on him. Ho f xod bail nt £250, with a surety of £250 iu each case.