PURSUIT OF BURGLAR.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18518, 1 October 1923, Page 8

PURSUIT OF BURGLAR.

CAPTURED AFTER CHASE.

REVOLVER SHOTS FIRED.

LONG STRUGGLE IN DARK.

SENSATION AT DEVONPORT.

Sensational circumstances surrounded the pursuit and arrest of a man who was found in a butcher's shop in Vauxhall Road, .Devonport, in the early hours .of Saturday morning. When disturbed the intruder escaped through the rear door of the premises, and ran toward the racecourse, closely pursued by Constable Nehoff who, after firing two shots from his revolver, overhauled the man and overpowered him, despite strong resistance. The arrested man is Alfred Arthur Hinds, agod about 40, who is said to bo a labourer, but is better known to the general public as Soldier Thompson, 1 ' a professional, wrestler. A man of fine physique, ho weighs about 15 or 16st., and is over 6ft. in height. Later in the morning the police visited accused's house where a considerable quantity of allegedly stolen property was found. A series of burglaries and attempted burglaries have occurred in Devonport recently and extra police have been detailed to patrol tho main streets. Constable Nehoff was' one of the men detailed for special patrol duty. When passing the Auckland Meat Company's new shop in Vauxhall Road about 3.30 a.m., Constable Nehoff, who was in plain .clothes, heard a noiso inside. He Went round to tho rear of the premises looked through a window, and saw a man in the shop. He flashed his torch directly on to the man who immediately moved out of sight. A Dash for Liberty. The policeman was in a dilemma. If he went to the front the man might escape through the back, and if he entered at the front the intruder would probably slip out by the _ back door. Efforts to rouse neighbours by throwing stones on the roofs of nearby houses failed. Finally, taking advantage of the noise made by a passing milk carl, the man dashed out by the back door, scaled a six-foot galvanised iron fence, ran through the yard of the house at the rear of the shop, and got over another fence, with the policeman in hot pursuit. The man continued on his way down Vauxhall Terrace toward the racecourse, which is about 200 yards away. Constable Nehoff gained ground and fired a shot from his revolver as a warning and also for the purpose of raising the alarm. Hinds turned and, it is alleged, presented a revolver—subsequently found to be .a toy pistol, about the size of an automatic revolver—and threatened to shoot. The constable's answer was a second shot.

Two Men Grapple. This had the.effect of causing the man to throw away his weapon and turn. As he "did so ; the constable, dropping his revolver, jumped on him, only to be flung off by a man who had a great advantage in weight, and was, in addition, a professional wrestler. Nothing daunted, Constable Nehoff returned to the attack, and a desperate struggle followed in the darkness. The encounter lasted altogether ._ for about 20 minutes. After the two men had been wrestling for about 10 minuses, the policeman gained the upper hand, and secured a hold which rendered his opponent harmless. •'':■

But, in the , struggle he had dropped the handcuffs, which were lying in the grass Ijbyond his reach, and it was impossible for him to get them without risking releasing his man. Accused finally broke away. The man closed again, and the struggle was renewed. Again ' /the' constable overpowered his adversary. Timely assistance was at hand, for an engineer residing nearby, awakened by the revolver shots and calls for help, hurraed: to the scene, ; and assisted Constable Nehoff to handcuff his prisoner. '__. ■■ . , : , ; ;. Find at Accused's House. Accused was ■'; conveyed by taxi to the Devonport police station, and was sub sequently brought to Auckland ,by Constables Hedlund and Gibbs. .... (In accused's possession were found skeleton keys, a glove, and ah electric torch. Nothing was stolen from the shop' :n which the prisoner was discovered, but a fowl.and meat were found wrapped up in a bag. ;■<, A police visit was paid to. accused's house in Morrison Ayenue, about 7 a.m., and accused's housekeeper was arrested subsequently by Sergeant Calwell on a charge of receiving stolen property. Accused is a widower with one young daughter. His housekeeper has two daughters. When the house was searched a number of skeleton keys, a quantity of gelignite, fuse, and detonators, and a considerable quantity of property alleged to have been stolen, were found. The property; found in' the house is said to includja jewellery from Mr. James McConkie's residence, Devonport, which was recently entered; tobacconist's goods from Mr. Henry Sutcliffe's Shop; champagne and wine from Mon Desir Hotel, Takapuna; and clothing from a waggon on tb'e. premises of Buckley and McGarvie, carriers. Hinds will be charged with'.breaking and entering and theft .from the first three, premises, and with the theft of the clothing. He will app;ear in the Police Court this morning.. ~. ■~'" ."../,