ESCAPING FROM CUSTODY.

Otago Witness, Issue 3806, 22 February 1927, Page 60

ESCAPING FROM CUSTODY.

THREE BROTHERS SENTENCED. PALMERSTON N., February 18. In the Police Court this morning Albert George Windsor, Frederick Joseph Windsor, and Lawrence Egmont Windsor were charged with breaking and entering the Otaki Dairy Company’s premises and stealing stamps valued at £1; also the Pahiatua railway station, and stealing goods valued at £2O; and the Levin railway station, and stealing bank notes, etc., valued at £122. They were further charged with assaulting a police constable and with ’ escaping from custody. The police stated that tho accused assaulted the constable when he was giving them breakfast, and escaped from custody, but were ultimately recaptured. AU three were sentenced to 12 months* imprisonment for escaping from custody. Frederick and Lawrence Windsor were sentenced to two months for assault on the constable. The charge against Albert Windsor was withdrawn. The hearing of the charges against the three brothers, of breaking and entering the premises of the Otaki Dairy Company on January 31, and stealing therefrom stamps to the value of £l, occupied tho whole of the day, with the result that the charges of breaking and entering the Levin and Pahiatua railway stations had to be adjourned till to-morrow. The lastinentioned offences at the time created something in the nature of a sensation, explosives being used on the safes. Amongst the exhibits set out in the court were a black mask, a toy revolver electrio torches, and gelignite, which were recovered by the police constaoles, uho related Jtow they had watched Albert and George Windsor walking along the railway line at Mattakau on February 4, and had seen them concealing a parcel and a tin containing the above-mentioned articles, and a" tin amongst the ferns at the back of a certain Louse. Both brothers subsequently disappeared. “I wish to tell the truth about th© safe at Levin being blown, open,” stated Albert Windsor in a sensational statement produced bv the police. “I have a house at Manakau and about 10 p.m. on Sunday, January 30, my two brothers asked-my wife, my sister, my mother, and myself- to go by motor car to Levin to look for a house. I did so, arriving at Levin at 10.40. My brothers, asked me to pull up at tho Post Office. They got out of the car at this point and told tne they were going to blow open the safe at the Railway Station. They asked me to stay in the car with Ihe women and keep the engine running in order to be ready to get away when the job w-as done. I advised them not to do it but they went away/' Albert Windson further explained that lie heard an explosion a few minutes later. They then journeyed to Linton and from there proceeded to Otr'-’i whee they pulled up in front of the dairy factory. ’Hie brothers asked him to stand by with the car while they burst open the door. They were away about 10 minutes. From Otaki they went to Manakau with their pockets bulging to hide the stuff. The same day they left Manakau again for Pahiatua. arriving, there at 8.30 p.m. At 1 o’clock in the morning they pulled .up the car at the Pahiatua Railway Station where his two brothers got out on the pretext of tisint the conveniences. A few minutes later he heard a terrific exmosion and when the brothers returned thev informed him they had blown the safe onen. They hnd a cash box with them and also twisted silver -"id tor" ,A ftor he had told them they would have to stop safe blowing they proceeded back to Manakau. In answer to counsel for the accused the detective who produced the. statement, stated that the statement was the result of

accused’s wife calling upon him, saying that her husband wished to confess.

All three accused were committed to the Supreme Court for trial.