UP-TO-DATE BURGLARS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXIX, Issue 11986, 7 June 1902, Page 2 (Supplement)

UP-TO-DATE BURGLARS.

— ' —"*— ! ARMED WITH AN ELECTRIC TORCH AND PINE IMPLEMENTS. At Clerkenwell Sessions a few days ago William Veial, 32, John Henry Barclay, 26 and James Francis, 26, well-dressed, smartlooking men, pleaded guilty to'breaking and entering the counting-house of ' Preece and Sons, Limited, job-masters, Craven Road, Paddington. «*£JES £* fe t upon Prosecutors' premises attracted the attention- of prisoners, who, well equipped with a complete outfit of mcely-hnished burglars' tools, broke into the counting-house on the night of April 10 Ihey forced three doors and locked one be! hind them with the aid of a skeleton key so as to allay suspicion in the mind of anyone entering after them. They, however made a ht*ie too mUch noise, with the resuit thai the police were called in, and the men were arrested. Upon the counting! house counter was found an electric " torch? which provided sufficient light to work fc, two well-tempered steel jemmies, a hand saw with several blades for cutting through steel bars, a screwdriver, many door keys and some pieces of cork cut wedge-shape! 2frfßE f e < ? onb j« P ur P°'e of fulcrmn and of being fixed under a door to prevent its being opened. AIL the men resolutely refused any information concerning themselves and the next day when they were remanded their ■ wives were carefully shadowed to their homes byth police At Veial's lodgings Detective-Sergeant Burnham found a notebook with an entry «•_, ?»#■ R^ ad *., K^ urn - Six doors up righthand side." address was that of a jewelers, and it was clear that Veial, and the other men, who had been in the habit of meeting him at his place and arranging plans had meditated a burglary there. This was shown by the fact that in the book there appeared also a rough drawn plan of the premises. AH prisoners had been previously convicted for various offences. His Lordship said it was greatly against the public peace and safety for wen to go marauding with such weapons as they had So finely were the instruments constructed that for neatness and perfect fitting they resembled surgical instruments. The men had declared themselves against the law of the land, and must go to penal servitude for th> following terms:-Barclay for four, Veial for three and a-half, and Francis for three years, ' ' T""' 1 " i