STREET GAR SENSATION

New Zealand Times, Volume XLIX, Issue 11249, 29 June 1922, Page 5

STREET GAR SENSATION

ALLEGED GULPRIT ON TRIAL THREE WITNESSES SAY WILLOUGHBY WAS THE MAN. ACCUSED DENIES (OFFENCE. James Joseph Willoughby, alleged to be the culprit in the recent sensational street-car robbery, 'appeared before Mr F. K. Hunt, S.M., .at the Magistrate’s Oourt yesterday. He was charged with the theft of a leather bag valued at £l, and £146 16s 10Jd ill money, the property of Gamble and Cheed. Tho date assigned was June 12th last, and on the charge sheet against Willoughby’s name there appeared the alias of Wilson. ON A IVALLACE STREET CAR. Chief-Detective Kemp, who conducted the case for the police, detailed the circumstances to the court. On June 12th, he said, Mr Gamble, a partner in the firm of Gamble and Creed, a well-known firm of tea merchants in the city, took from his shop a sum of money, which, was placed inside a brief bag. _ For the past 12 years he had been in the habit of carrying home the takings in this manner to liis 'home at 40, Wright street. Contained in the .bag was the sum of £136 Os 4fd in cash and the balance in cheques and postal notes made a total of £146 16s IOJd, the amount of the charge. He -boarded a Wallace street car at Winder’s Corner and had taken a single seat. SEIZED THE BAG. He had placed the bag between his heels and the car had gone some distance when complainant felt a tug at the bag and turned round! to see a man jumping off the car with it in his possession. Complainant g«ve chase, but was outdistanced by the man, and later went to the police. That was the last tha-t was heard of the man until he was “put up” and positively identified by three witnesses who were sitting behind Mr Gamble at the time. For the accused Mr C. A. L. Treadwell appeared. INTO THE CROWD. William Gamble, the informant in the ease, entered the box. He had: caught the 7.34 p.m. oar from the Post Office at Winder’s Corner. Besides the cash, which amounted to £136 Os 4Jd, he had various amounts in cheques and postal notes, amounting in all to the sum on the charge aheet. When he felt the bag wrenched away he whipped round to see a man springing off the car. The man dashed down the street, mingling with the crowd, and witness saw 'his head bobbing up and down amongst the people. Witness noted the direction, which the man took and then swung off after the tram had gone, say, lanother Couple of oar lengths. His pursuit had been futile, and he had then reported the matter to the polioe. He had not seen tho face of the robber; but the man was dressed in a suit of brown and a brown felt hat turned down round the brim. He would judge the man to he from 30 to 35, but could not positively identify him. He had not seen any mail sitting behind him on the car. His evidence was along the lines of the chiof-detective’s statement. To Mr Treadwell: The man was lost in a had light, and he could not follow him. JOSTLED ASIDE. Hadyn Algar, carpenter, in evidence, said that together with hra brother and Mr Fred Roberts, he had been travelling on the same car. They had boarded the car at Winder’s Corner and he had seen Mr Gamble, who then was unknown to him. Witness was about to take the seat behind MiGamble when he was pushed 1 aside, and took his place level with complainant on the other side of the car. Mr Gamble had occupied a single seat on the left-hand side of the car. The manner in which ho had been jostled had caused him to note the main who bad done it. It was the accused, and he had taken the man to he drunk. Witness had not seen accused pick any bag up, but had seen Willoughby leap from the car with one in his hand. There was then no bag under Gamble’s feet, and a moment later, the latter had leapt from the car in pursuit. THE MAN IDENTIFIED. On June 20th last witness visited the Central Police Station and identified the accused among seven or eight other men. Willoughby had then muttered some unprintable oath about him. Witness was quite sure of ihis identification. To Mr Treadwell: He was a brother of the footballers, and Mr Roberts, also, was well-known in Rugby circles. EVIDENCE IN SUPPORT. Beethoven Algar, also a carpenter, gave corroborative evidence. He baa mounted the oar’after his brother, and had identified the accused man. He bad seen him jump from the car holding a bag above his head. Roberts stood up and all the party craned over the side of the tram to watch the running man. Then witness heard the thud of Gamble’s feet as he jumped off in pursuit. He was positive that accus,ed was the man, and had had no difficulty in identifying him. Frederick Roberts, Harbour Board official, was also called -to corroborate. The man had hung upon tho footboard while the tram passed a standing mo-tor-car to the left. Then he seized the bag and sprang for the road. He, also, had identified the accused as the man. “FROM INFORMATION RECEIVED.” Detective Walsh, who had been engaged on the case, then entered the box. They had been in receipt of certain information about the accused, and he had. accompanied Detective Tongue to the residence of Willoughby—ls, Homer street, Newtown. They had made the journey at 7 o’clock on the morning of Tuesday, June 20th. “Is it a pinch?” asked accused when he saw them. Taken to the detective office after having been found in .bed, accused denied all knowledge of the crime, 1 and refused to make any statement as to his whereabouts at the time of the affair. A group for identification had been set up and accused had been identified by the witnesses Roberts and the Algar brothers at different times. He was arrested and charged with the offence.

When arrested, accused was wearing 'a brown coat and vest and a browncoloured hat turned down all round. Acting-Detective Tongue corroborated the statements of the previous witness, and the case for the prosecution was concluded. COMMITTED FOR TRIAL.

Chief-Detective Kemp Btated that one female witness, who was to testify as to the discovery of certain articles, was out of town, and that, consequently, 'her evidence would have to be given in the Supreme Court. Willoughby, who had nothing to say, entered a plea of not guilty, and was committed to the Supreme Court for trial.’ Bail was allowed in the sum of