RAILWAY SAFES BLOWN OPEN

Manawatu Times, Volume LII, Issue 3538, 21 February 1927, Page 8

RAILWAY SAFES BLOWN OPEN

Thefts From Levin and Pahktua THREE BROTHERS COMMITTED FOR TRIAL Alleged to have perpetrated a number of safe robberies around the district of Manakau, where they resided, on January 31 last, three brothers, Albert George Windsor, Lawrence Egmont Windsor, and Frederick Joseph W’ind- ' sor, appeared at the Magistrate s Court on Saturday morning, before Messrs. G. H. Espiner and W. G. Ashworth, J’s.P., to answer charges in respect to breaking, entering and theft from the Levin and Pahiatua Railway stations, the total amount Involved in the thefts being £143 11s. The accused pleaded not guilty to all counts and after evidence diad been tendered for the prosecution along similar lines to that heard In tlie Otaki case the previous day, they were committed to the next session of the Supreme - Court in Palmerston North lor trial. Senior Detective Quirke conducted the prosecution, while the three accused were represented by Mr. J. F. R. Wallace, of Wellington. The Levin episode was disposed of first, when evidence to the effect that he left everything in the Levin station ’ secure, when he left it at 10.30 p.m on -January 30 last, was given by James Henry Wright, who was actingstationmaster at that time. The safe was in good condition, and contained cheques to the value of £66 5s lid £45 in single and half-pound notes, and about £l4 14s 3d in silver. On being called to the station' at seven o’clock in the morning of January 31. he discovered that an entrance had been effected to the office, the safe had been opened by means of explosives, and with the exception of £3 2s 7d, subsequently recovered by the police, the cheques and other money was missing. Some of the coins picked up on the floor were badly bent, while a hole had been rent in the ceiling of the office as the result of the violent explosion., Mysterious Movements At Night. Walter V. Doyle, another railway servant of Levin, detailed how he discovered that the burglary had been committed, while George H. Bignall, an auctioneer’s assistant, told of strange happenings that had occurred on the evening of January 30. He was in a tent at his place of residence, fo.ur chains distant kom the railway statioil, when his attention was attracted, at about one or two o’clock in the morning, to a motor-car, which though stationary, was kept running. About a-quarter of an hour later he heard a terrific explosion, which obviously enough, had occurred at the railway station. Five or ten minutes had elapsed after the explosion before the car moved on. Witness did not get up, and did not see anyone about the- railway station. Torn Notes And Some Powder, Detective Hunt, of Wellington, said that when he searched Albert John .Windsor, he discovered on him two torn onc-pound notes, which were covered with a white powder. Crossexamined witness considered that this powdery substance was gelignite. Counsel: “You are sure it was not French chalk ?” —“Yes.” Detective F. L. Robinson, also of Wellington, related that he found £7 llg 9d on Lawrence Windsor, and of this amount had retained 10s 6d in silver, which he produced. The coins, ho said, were chipped and bent. Acting-Detective P. Kearney .produced a statement made by Frederick Windsor, in which ho denied com-plicity-in either the Levin or Pahiatua episodes, while the movements of the accused men were described by Constables Kelly (Lower Hutt), Cosgrove (Levin) and Satherley (Otaki^. Piece Of Fuse Found. Detective Russell, of Palmerston North, told of the condition in which ho found the safe at the Levin Railway station on January 31 last, after the burglary had been committed. An inspection of the office revealed £3 2s 7d in silver and coppers, and a piece of fuse, apparently used to discharge the explosives that had been used to blow open the safe. The tyre lever, which had been removed from the car at Lower Hutt, fitted the impressions made on the doors and windows at the station, when an entrance was being effected by the marauders. Detective Quirke and McLennan gave corroborative evidence. The latter put in a statement taken from Albert Windsor, in which he admitted having been associated ' with his brothers in the matter of executing a series of burglaries. Counsel: “No inducement was held out to him according to you yesterday and X suppose there was none to-day?” —“That is so.” It was admitted by the next witness, Lancelot Herbert, a storekeeper of Pahiatua, thpt he had disposed of explosives to one of the accused. However, ha did not supply any fuse, he said. The accused had nothing to say in answer to the charge, pleaded not guilty, and were committed to the next seqgion of the Supreme Court in Palmerston North for trial. Tlie Pahiatua Case. The police evidence in relation to the Pahiatua charge was almost Identical with that presented at the Initial proceedings. Fresh details were given by Clarence K. Williams, chief clerk at the Pahiatua Railway station, who pointed out that he locked' £2O 15s 4d —including cheques valued at £2 2s- lOd—in the station safe when he left the station at nine p.m. on the evening of January 30. When he returned to the office the following morning he discovered the eafo' to have been blown open, the money removed, and the office to bo

in a' disorderly condition. The drawers (produced) he felt positive were those taken from the safe and tile office till. Wilson Polgase, a porter employed at Pahiatua, told of how ho discovered the safe had been tampered with when he went on duty at 6.45 o’clock on the morning of January 31, while William H. Lawry identified the accused as being the men who had visited his garage in Main street, Pahiatua, on January 30, for the purpose of having their car repaired. The last he saw of them was at 11.45 p.m., when they were proceeding in a southerly direction. The case for tho prosecution was terminated after Detective Quirke had stated that, the accused Albert Windsor had assisted him to find several of tho exhibits used in the case, in the Manawatu Gorge. Tho pleaded not guilty on this charge also, and were committed to the Supreme Court for trial.