STOLEN MOTOR CAR

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXI, 20 May 1927, Page 5

STOLEN MOTOR CAR

EXCITEMENT FOR* THIEVES

(By Telegraph-Special to "The Mail")

AUCKLAND, 19th May. With a crack that brought startled householders to their windows, a fiveseater motor-car, which was stolen from outside St. Matthew's Church on Monday night, tore through a fence at the corner of Turner and Liverpool streets at an early hour yesterday morning. Of the joy-riders there was no sign, the car apparently having been deliberately sent on its mad career.

The lower end of Liverpool street, which is very steep, is yet unformed, the place being overgrown with long grass. From tracks' left in the grass it appears that the stolen car, which is owned by Mr G. H. Knight, was taken to the top of the hill and sent careering down. After travelling some dis\ tanco; the car swerved to the right and mounted the footpath, striking a telegraph pole in doing so. The car next crashed into a brick wall, dislodging a number of bricks, but it refused to be pulled up. It cannoned off the wall to go on down the hill again. By this time the motor had attained terrific speed, and had it again swerved to the left and crashed through any of the light wooden fences the consequences would probably have been more serious. Fortunately, however, the car kept a more or less straight course, although it hit a second post before swerving sharply to the left at the foot of the hill. Half-way through the broken fencing the car came to a standstill with its front right wheel shattered and'minor damage to body and engine. An examination of the.car this morning showed that the thieves had attempted to hide the identity of the car by altering the rear number plate, the yellow paint of the first and fifth figures having been scratched off.