USE OF EXPLOSIVES

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 21345, 21 November 1932, Page 11

USE OF EXPLOSIVES

ATTEMPT TO OPEN SAFE

BOROUGH COUNCIL CHAMBERS

TWO YEARS' IMPRISONMENT

[from our own correspondent] HAMILTON, Saturday In the Hamilton Supreme Court to-day Charles Barclay Dewar was charged with breaking and entering the counting-house of the Te Aroha Borough Council on October 8 with intent to commit a crime and wilfully placing an explosive there with intent to damage it. Colin Hamilton Dalton, electrical engineer, employed by the council, gave evidence of unsuccessful attempts to open the safe by the use of explosives. He said he had found pieces of fuse, a detonator, some explosives and wet soil in the room. A piece of a file wasi found in the lock. Captain G. G. K. Gooday, of the Salvation Army, Paeroa, said Dewar had stayed with him for several days after the council chambers were entered. Accused had a sugar-bag and several tools with him, including a file.

Constable C. Dalbeth said that on October 15, while on duty in the main street at Paeroa he noticed a man standing on a barrel against a fence surrounding the back yard of a grocer's shop. As soon as the man saw witness he jumped off the barrel, picked up a sack and ran down the main street. Witness chased the man into a reserve. When the man emerged the bag had disappeared. After traversing several more streets the constable finally accosted the man, who gave his name as Brady and then as Harding. A labourer, James Phillip Rooney, said that he found a sugar-bag in the reserve referred to by the constable. He also found a parcel containing detonators.

After a retirement of a few minutes the jury returned a verdict of guilty. In sentencing accused to hard labour for two years, to be served at the expiration of the 12 months' sentence he had already received, His Honor said Dewar had been previously convicted for several offences and was now serving a sentence for being a rogue and a vagabond.