STOLEN GRAMOPHONES

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXIII, 9 January 1929, Page 2

STOLEN GRAMOPHONES

REPEATED THEFTS EXPLAINED

MOW THE POLICE WERE BEATEN

(By Tolegraph —Press Association;

AUCKLAND, Bth January

For the eighth time in two years, one of Howie’s gramophone and musical t-liops has been burgled through a skylight. Last night thieves entered the firm’s Queen street shop, and stole a portable gramophone, ill in silver, and a number of records. Unlike the previous robbery at Newmarket, no records wero smashed, and many had been replaced in the correct envelopes.

(By Tclegr iph—Special to “The Mail”)

AUCKLAND, 81h January. An amazing story of previous burglaries and bow they were done by an Auckland man well known to tlie police was told a “Blar” reporter by Mr .S Holden Howie, managing director if the firm. So many portable gramophones were being stolen some time ago from the Quay street shop that Mr Howie arranged with the police to have an officer sleeping on the premises, but astounding as it may seem, the gramophones still disappeared. On one occasion two gramophones were marked, and when the policeman took up his watch Ah- Howie saul to him : “I bet you these machines will be gone in tho morning,” and tliey vanished: “The police thought that we were playing a joke on them, and almost insinuated as much,” said Mr tlowie,

“but it was no joke to have pounds and pounds worth of gramophones stolen. They not only took compute machines, but also many ' spare parts, including tone-arms and sound-boxes. Tliey ■would not touch tlie cheaper sound-boxes, but always selected the best.

“Now comes tlie intriguing story of how tlie crimes were committed. iSome time ago Air Howie was coming back in tlie train from Te Awanuitu. After a man in a nearby seat had watched him closely for a time tlie man went over and said, >“You ■ are Mr Howie, aren’t you?” “Yes,” said Mr Howie. “Well, I’m' ,” giving tlie name of a man well known to the Auckland police. A conversation followed, and while they were having lunch on the Franklin station tlie man, after a few questions had been put to him, told Mr Howie that lie had ‘ done one or two “jobs.” He said he wanted to express his appreciation for tlie way in which Air Howie had given evidence in a case against him. Eventually Air Howie asked the man how lie had got away with the machines from the Quay Street shop. “It is easy for anybody with an in elination for thieving in Auckland to do a ‘job,’ ” was tho reply. “We know every police beat in Auckland.” • “Why did we lose more gramophones when the police were sleeping on tlie premises?” asked Air Howie. “Well,” said tlie man, “this is how we did it. Tlie police left the shop for a short time, and while they were away we hopped in and got two or three more. Another thing. These policemen who stayed at tlie place always went across to the wharf station for a cup of coffee spun after midnight, and, although they were away only a few minutes, there was plenty of time for us to overhaul the place. All we did was to spread a bit of treacle over the skylight, put a piece of paper on top of* it, and smash it with a fist. Then we would open the clasp and get in.” “It was an eye-opener to me,” said Mr Howie, “for lie told me this story just after lie had come out of Alount Eden. I wanted him to come to the “Star” and give them the story of how he did tlie ‘jobs,’ but lie shied clear of that. He wanted a gramophone just before he' went to Sydney, and I let him have one. He lias got a steady job over there, and I believe is going straight. In any case, lie sends across monthly payments on the machine. I also gave him £2 to carry on with when lie was leaving for Sydney.”