DESPERATE CRIMINAL

New Zealand Times, Volume LI, Issue 11739, 29 January 1924, Page 2

DESPERATE CRIMINAL

TRIES TO END HIS LIFE. SYDNEY, January 19. Ai desperate criminal well-kndwn to the police in all States, of Australia and in New Zealand made an attempt to explode a detonator in his teeth in Brisbane on Tuesday. He .was discovered at work just in time. Following on ris arrest, he was searched in the usual manner, a quantity of gelignite being discovered in kia pockets. But a short length of fuss and a detonator ware hidden in his sleeve, and escaped detection. He waa handcuffed and placed in a motor-car for transportation to the Roma street station, for which he set off with a , detectiv e. As the car moved along he dropped his head in his hands, as though disgusted at tlie turn events had taken, and he kept this position until the station was reached, without the detective having noticed anything amiss. When the oar stopped he stood up with an oath, of disgust, and threw a piece of fuse to the ground. “You’re the luckiest man in Brisbane,” he told the detective. ‘‘l’ve been trying to set that cap off ever since we got into the carl” An examination of the cap of the detonator showed where his teeth had made indentations. He explained that he had attempted to explode it by bringing his teeth together with all the force of which he waa capable.