A MIDNIGHT MARAUDER

NZ Truth, Issue 818, 16 July 1921, Page 5

A MIDNIGHT MARAUDER

Amazing Actions Alleged Against Ashton

Who Bagged Blookley's Blankets? *

(From "Truth's" Timaru Rep.) '

There were some rather sensational features m the evidence heard at the Timaru Magistrate's Court on Thursday of last week, . m respect to the charges against a youth named NOel Charles Ashton (19), charged with committing" . burglary by breaking and entering the house of Sarah Hall Blockley, at Church-street West, Timaru, on June IS, and stealing two blankets and a sheet, valued at £2 10s. A further charge against the same accused was- for assaulting Sarah H. Blockley by sticking her with his clenched fist on the^face. Mr. E. D. Mosley was on the Bench. Mr. W. D. Campbell appeared for the accused. Senior-Sergt. Fahey said m, regard to the first charge, that complainant was awakened m the early hours, and was tumbled out of bed and the blankets were stolen. Accused was later again seen outside the window and he was secured until the arrival of the police. . ' % Muriel Blockley, a young girl still m her teens, said that on June 18 she and her mother retired about 10.20 p.m. Witness was sleeping with a sister m a front room facing the road. Between 3 arid 4 a.m. she heard a noise of breakv ing glass. Almost simultaneously with the noise, witness was caught hold of, BLANKETS AND ALL^ by some person who leaned through the window. She did not know who» the man was. All she could say w,as thai; he' wore a "Trilby" hat and an overcoat. Her sister and she rushed to their mother's room, and a few minutes later they went to the 'gate and came back for a coat. . The three went •next door, and when they were on the footpath they saw a gentleman' come from Keen's shop. Mr. Keen was called and Mrs. Blockley returned home. . As they went, back they saw someone entering .their gate and go behind the bushes near the broken window. Witness said: "You had better come out, we have seen you." After a brief silence, the man made a growl--, ami took Iflis muffler off, twisted it r'pund* and chased them. He caught witness's mother at Mr. Keen's gate and struck her on the head, knocking her down. Mr. Keen then ran forward, and he and the man strug-g-led. Mrs. Keen struck the man on the head with a stick, and Mr. Leslie Keen came up and secured him until the police arriy.ed. Witness could not identify the man who struck her mother. The sheet and blankets produced were the ones she had on her bed that night. Maria Hall Blockley, (14), gave corroborative evidence. Mrs. Blockley, nether of tftp previous witness, gave similar evidence. She said that when the m^n struck hexshe fell heavily on tier left side and struck her head/on the footpath. As the first struggle was taking place, the man said: "Let me go, Mr. Keen, you know me; you mend my boots. Nice pals they are to let you* do the dirty work and then leave! you." In reply; to a- question by. Keen, the man said, there were two pals, i Witness was not sure of the first name mentioned, but the second was "Allen." She identified accused as the man. She had been up about 2 a.m., as she fancied someone was prowling about. One big crash of glass awakened her. Immediately after the crash she met her daughters m the kitchen and went next door to Keen's. She was certain the man they first passed was the accused. His Worship: Was there anyone else about at the time? — No. She was sure the man they saw behind . the bush was the same as they had seen when going to Keen's. George Keen, bootmaker, gave evid-i ence as to having been called up by Mrs. Blockley on the date m question. He saw accused either hit or push Mrs. Blockley,. KNOCKING HER DOWN, . and witness immediately jumped over the top o of her and grappled with the accused,' eventually getting- him down. Accused said something about two mates -up at the corner where they had been playing two-up. He • made a rambling statement about £4S) that he had lost. Hd did not know the man. To Mr. Campbell: Accused did not j say anything about boots to him. . To His Worship:, Witness /lid not consider the man .sufficiently' drunk not to know what he was doing, and he did not appear to be drunk as he approached • witness's gate. Winifred Keen, wife of the previous witness, also gave evidence. . 1 Charles Leslie, buildei', residing m Church- street, stated that he lived next door to Mrs. Blqckley. He saw accused and' Mr. Keen struggling on the footpath inside Mr. Keen's gate. Witness got Jiold of accused and put him on his feet. Accused then said: "I will catch those two crooks who doped me," and mentioned live names. Accused said lie had to go up to the corner to get his coat. Mr. Chiles and witness took him to the 1 corner and he said his coat was on the fence, but they could not find it. Accused was then handed over to the police. The coat was found later that same morning, hanging on a gate opppsite to the place where accused said it was. On that morning also, witness saw on the road one or two DROPS' OF BLOOD leading to the Avenue. , To Senior-Sergt. Fahey:- 'Accused was intoxicated,, but he seemed to be able to answer any questions asked of him. ' . Constable Watkins gave evidence as to finding the. sheet and pair of blankets (produced) m Avenue-street. Mrs. Biockley identified them as her property. They were planted m Avenueroad, about thirty yards from the corner of Avenue *and Church-streets. There, was blood on one' of the sheets. When accused was, charged 'in .the watcW-house with the offence, witness saw . that his hands were bloodstained. \ ■ 'Accused reserved his defence, and on being- formally charged pleaded not guilty. He was committed for trial at the next sessions of the Supreme Court m Timaru. Bail was. allowed accused m £100 and surety of £100 or two at £50.