CITY MYSTERY

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22777, 10 July 1937, Page 14

CITY MYSTERY

GARDEN EXPLOSION BARRISTER INJURED WINDOWS SHATTERED SENSATION AFTER DARK Wounded and bleeding from the head, hand and one leg, a well-known Auckland barrister, Mr. R. A. Singer, was found in a state of partial collapse following a mysterious explosion that occurred at his feet as he was walking along tho garden path of his home at 122 Grafton Road. City, at 6.15 o'clock, last night, after dark. Mr. Singer, who ■had alighted from a taxicab at his gate a few seconds earlier, was assisted into his house, whore he was attended by a doctor. He was ordered to bed at his home, and his condition last night was not considered serious. Hurled sideways by the explosion, which occurred in a rockery at the right-hand side of tho path, Mr. Singer was dazed, but managed to stagger the few yards to the front porch of his home. His trousers, hanging in tatters about his legs, were blown almost to pieces, and ho had already lost considerable blood when the- door was opened. Alarm in Neighbourhood Assisted by a passer-by. who had run to the house after hearing the explosion, members of the household took Mr. Singer inside, and endeavoured to stop tho bleeding of his several wounds. Dr. Douglas llobb was summoned, and the police were advised. General alarm was caused in the neighbourhood by the explosion, which was accompanied by a brilliant sheet of flame. A deep hole was torn in the earth of the rockery, two windows in the porch of the house next door were smashed, and the whole path, as well as the taxi which Mr. Singer had just left, were liberally coated with earth. One of the signs clipped to tho side of the taxi was blown off, and shrubs and flowers in the rockery were uprooted. Papers Torn to Shreds A bundle of books and papers which Mr. Singer was carrying was burst open, and tho contents, some of them blown to shreds, were scattered about the garden. Jagged holes were torn in tho stout brown paper in which the documents wero wrapped, and after the larger pieces had been collected, dozens of smaller fragments still remained. Tho taxi, which was driven by Mr. Selwyn Casey, formerly a well-known racing motor-cyclist, did not stop in Grafton Road, but on a ramp leading to several houses, including Mr. Singer's residence, which are on a much higher level than the street. The car was still at the gate when the explosion occurred, so rapidly did it follow Mr. Singer's entry to his property. Sheet of Flame " There was a deafening explosion, and a blinding sheet of flame," Mr. Casey said. " For a moment or two 1 could not sec Mr. Singer, and I did not know what had happened. I then saw him staggering up the path toward the front door. " Fumes of some explosive were heavy in the air, and immediately after the blast occurred, windows in the porch of the house next door were broken. Showers of earth rained down for,quite a time, all over my car and even on the roof of Mr. Singer's house and that of the house next door." Police Commence Inquiries Attracted by tho roar of tho explosion, which was heard as far away as Prince's Street, City, a crowd gathered rapidly. Speculation was rife as to the cause of tho explosion, which occurred where a shadow falls across the path. Detectivo Moore and two constables answered tho call, and were quickly on the scene in a police car. An investigation was commenced, including a preliminary search of tho rockery, garden, path and lawn, for fragments of tho bomb or other device that caused the explosion. Complete Search at Daylight Small pieces of tin or some other metal wero found, some by Mr. Casey and others by tho police, who were later reinforced by Detective-Sergeant McHugli. A more complete search will bo made in daylight this morning. A detective was kept on duty at tho gate for several hours after the explosion.