SMART CAPTURES BY POLICE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21920, 4 April 1933, Page 7

SMART CAPTURES BY POLICE

ALLEGED BREAKING AND ENTERING SERIES OF CHARGES PENDING A timely warning and prompt action enabled the police over the week-end to clear up the mystery of robberies between Invercargill and Dunedin extending ovei some time. It came to the knowledge ot the police on Saturday evening that certain men were in town, and a net was immediately spread round the city, ine result was the apprehension of three men and their appearance in the City roiice Court yesterday morning. charged and now in custody are Albert Harris, aged 32 years; William Arthur Stewart, aged 25 years; and Charles Perceval Robert M'Greath aged 27 years. They appeared before Mr H. W. Bundle, g M on charges that they , did attempt to break and enter the premises of Henrj Wimpenny with intent to commit a crime. Detective Sergeant Nuttall said that both M'Greath and Stewart came from Invercargill, and, Ham s was well known in Dunedin. Nine charges would be preferred against the two first-named, and Harris would be asked to answer to two or three. In respect of all of . . tbe ® g remand was required, and this was granted by the magistrate. According to statements made to .tne police, M'Greath and Stewart broke into a brewery outside Invercargill, and eturning to town broke .into ,*wo ® e ],™ stations. They then visited Wyndham, by car and broke into a tobacconists shop and also a grocery store They raided a store at Mataura, and on then arrival at Dunedin broke . ir } to a , station. They were then Joined by Har ris, and attempted to break into the premises of Henry j Wimpenny on the Anderson’s Bay road. Here they « disturbed, and made a hurried escape m fear! Later on Saturday evening, however, they attempted to break into another parage, but again they had to decamp The registration number of their , cai was noted, however, and. the police \veie formed. It was then that a net was thrown round the city, and after midnight Constables Mackie and lutcinn frosted the accused * Moray place Detectives Power and G?bson weie called in', and further suited in the recovery of a quantity ot stolen goods from the home of one of the a smart capture, and the police are to be congratulated on the successfu "!J° ot theif effort*, At t. . owners are required for f c^ e p s ° , u fd found in the possession of the accused. extensive operations INVERCARGILL TO DUNEDIN. (Special to Daily Times.) INVERCARGILL, April 3. Smart detective work at Invercargil and Dunedin during the week-end resulted in the apprehension of five men on cba rS® 3 in connection with one of themostsensational series of burglaries that has occurred in the south for a number ofyears Invercargill was the starting point for the rafds, which extended as far as Dunedin end included visits to premises at Wjnd ham, Mataura. Gore, and Clinton. Alll the burglaries occurred during the hours ot darkness on Saturday night. In all about a dozen premises were broken into. Two men have been arrested at Invercargill and will be charged with the d three men were apprehended at Dunedin. In connection ‘with the Invercargill burglaries the premises of Tinker s service station at Waikiwi was entered and a quantity of cigarettes and alioiit l 10* in money stolen. Cox s service station on the corner of Elies road and Lttnck street, was broken into and a few shillings in money and a quantity of oil taken. A vift v.-as also paid to Whittmgham’s Brewery, from which £1 10s in money wa» stolen and four dozen bottles of two dozen bottles ot stout. An attempt was also made to break into Messrs A. C Millar’s shop in Mary street. Uo. Self-help store at Wyndham was raided and some cigarettes were removed, and in the same town Mr M. Tangney s tobacconist’s shop was broken into and £4 i money and a quantity of cigarettes taken. Mataura was the next town visited, and a good haul was made at the premises ot Messrs H. J. Hill and Co., clothiers, from which a large quantity of shoes and clotning was stolen, the value amounting to about £3O or £4O. A small sum in silver was also taken, but a safe containing a substantial sum in notes was not touched. A motor garage owned by Mr A. u. M'Farlane was also forced open, but apparently nothing was taken. A raid was also made at au East Gore service station and some oil stolen. At Clinton a motor garage was broken into and the burglars'filled up their car with petrol after- obtaining the bowser keys. The party set off for Dunedin, and subsequently three men were arrested in that city after several alleged attempts at burglary.