MANY THEFTS ALLEGED.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIX, Issue 18172, 18 August 1922, Page 9

MANY THEFTS ALLEGED.

DISAPPEARANCE OF MjOTORS

EVIDENCE OF BURGLARIES.

TWO MEN BEFORE COURT.

An extensive series of breaking and entering and theft charges, including charges of stealing four motor-cars, were made in the Polico Court yesterday, before Mr. J. W. Poynton, S.M., against two men, Charles Murphy, aged 24 (Mr. Gatenby), and Archie Taylor, aged 33. The men were jointly charged with : On July 14, stealing a motor-car, valued at £200, the property of William Sinclair ; on July 14, stealing a car, valued at £400, the property of John Owen Gardner; on July 18, stealing a car, valued at £150, the property oil Ambury's, Ltd.; on July 20, stealing a car, valued at £700, the property of Norman Hugh Hanna. All these offences were stated to have taken place at Auckland. Accused were further charged * with : At Green Lane, on July 9, breaking and entering the shop of Dennis Rogers, and stealing tobacco, pipes, and razors, to the value of £50; at Mount Albert, on July 14, breaking and entering the shop of Percy Fowler, and stealing similar goods, together with a hammer and screwdriver, to the value of £13; on Julv 18, breaking and entering the shop of Walter George Mulholland\ and stealing similar goods, to the value of £14; on July 20, breaking and entering the store of Wallace and Company, at Pokeno, and stealing a safe, tobacco, cigarettes, boots, jewellery, scrip, cheques, £60 in money and miscellaneous articles, of a total value of £496.

Murphy was further charged with breaking and entering the shop of John Vickorstaff. and stealing a glass-cutting diamond, valued at £1. Evidence Against Accused. Evidence was given by several witnesses regarding the entering of the various shops and the disappearance of the goods. Wm. Sinclair said a hammer and screwdriver were found in his car when it was recovered. Thomas Henry Chapman stated that tobacco was in Ambury's car when it was found abandoned.

Alfred James Trayes Bourne, manager for Wallace and Co., Pokeno, said the store was left locked on the night of July 20. Its appearance in the morning gave the impression that it had been thoroughly ransacked. The boots produced were similar to those stolen, while shirts and sandshoes produced were from his firm's stock.

Sergeant Cowan, of Pukekohe, stated that on the morning of July 21, he saw fresh tracks of a motor-car, with a particular make of tyres, on the Great South Road; and he again saw the tracks at the Razorback hill. Three miles from Pokeno, witness paw a sate lying on the side of the road. The safe had been blown open with gelignite, and he found gelignite papers and a fuse. Ernest Edward Mourant, railway clerk at Pokeno, said one of the stolen motorcars, a grey two-seater, was similar to one he saw outside Wallace's store on tho night of the burglary. Apprehended by Civilian. Charles Henry Smith, farmer, of Razorback, said he heard three explosions about five o'clock on the morning of July 21. At daybreak, a man whom he now identified as Murphy, (same to him and said his car was stuck in the wateriablS At accused's request* witness pudled the car out with his horses, and accused gave him a £1 note in payment and drovo away in the direction of Auckland. Witness said the car which he had just inspected was the one which was stuck that morning. The owner of one of the cars, Norman Hugh Hanna, said his. car, which left distinct tyre marks, disappeared from his garage during the night of July 20. When he later saw the car at Schofield s garage, in Newmarket, it had four marks on the back which might have been caused by a heavy weight such as an iron plate. The body of the car showed evidences of strain. : It had cost him about £33 to make good the damage dono to the car. Ernest James Schofield said he saw Mr. Hanna's car, which he knew had been stolen, in Broadway, Newmarket, on the evening of July 21. He watched the car for about 15 minutes, and finally Murphy came out and started to pour benzine into the tank. Murphy then took fright and jumped, on to a Remuera tramcar. Witness chased him and handed him over to. Sergeant Rock, of the Newmarket police. Accused, who pleaded hard to get away, said, "If I get caught they will only send me for a 'stretch.' I was starving and my wife was starving. I got 50s for the "job." Witness said the car was easily traceable by the distinct marks of its tyres. Murphy Admits Offences. Detective Knight said he accosted the accused Taylor who remarked, "If I show you where there is.'» swag of tobacco and some money and the fellow who has got it, will you let me go?" Witness and Detective O'Sullivan subsequently found in Taylor's arid Murphy's rooms several articles, identified by previous witnesses as their property. Taylor had made a statement, in which he said that Murphy asked him where he could sell some tobacco. Taylor also jraid he saw Murphy hand over some tobacconist's gear to another man. He had done no jobs with Murphy. A statement had also been made by Murphy, who had given witness and the police every assistance. In this statement, Murphy admitted the burglaries and motor-car thefts in company ■with Taylor. A third man assisted in the Pokeno affair, and all three wore gloves to prevent finger-prints. Two or three other garaqes were broken into on the night of July 20 with the object of finding a suitable car before Mr. Hanna's garage was reached. Murphy also admitted taking the glass cutter. Corrobative evidence was given by Detective O'Sullivan. Taylor, who pleaded not guilty, was committed to the Supreme Court for trial. . Murphy, who pleaded guilty, was committed for sentence.