TWO CARS TAKEN

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 19883, 9 March 1939, Page 5

TWO CARS TAKEN

BURGLARY OF GARAGE

THREE SUSPECTS CAUGHT

ONE HURT IN SMASH

AUCKLAND POLICE HUNT

(Per Press Association.) AUCKLAND, this day

A gradually-widening search by the police and detectives throughout North Auckland for three men suspected of converting two cars and of entering a garage at Helensville on Tuesday night 'had a startling sequel at midday yesterday when a youth was admitted to the Rawene Hospital and two others were arrested following a motor collision near Rawene. In less than 12 hours the • scene of police activity moved over 150 miles of highway from Helensville to Rawene, where the second of the cars alleged to have been stolen was stated to have been recovered.

The first of the chain of incidents was the removal of a car from Albert street, Auckland, on Tuesday night. Shortly after it was missed at 11 o'clock, two cyclists at Helensville-" were passing the garage of Messrs. G. W. Taylor and Son when they saw torches flashing in the building. As they went back to investigate, two men ran from the premises and jumped into a light car in which a third person was sitting behind the wheel. Office Ransacked / A search revealed that the lock on the garage door had been forced and the office had been ransacked and the safe opened, but only about 17s had .been discovered in the till. However, papers and documents were streWn about the floor and even the pockets of several coats had been turned out in the search evidently for money. The glimpse obtained of the car used by the intruders had shown it to be identical with the vehicle missing from Auckland. A pursuit was organised by a constable at iHelensville, but the fugitives escaped on the fog-shrouded roads and the car was later discovered abandoned at iParkhurst, five miles from Helensville. However, another car was found missing from the garage of its owner, Mr. I. Sheffield, of Parkhurst. A police patrol car had left Auckland in an unsuccessful attempt to intercept the ' fugitive trio who were believed to be travelling south and yesterday morning the Helens’ville area was again searched by a party of detectives. The country police stations also kept watch for the missing car. Accident Reported

No further clue as to • the whereabouts of the missing car was obtained until midday when the police at Rawene received advice from a farmer that a collision had occurred ■between two vehicles on the Waima Hill, about eight miles frbm tse township. They were informed that one was driven by a Maori, while the other, which was proceeding towards Rawene, contained three young men, one of whom had been injured. The car carrying the three men was fairly extensively damaged. Constables went to the scene of the accident and found that the description Of the car travelling north was similar to that of the one that had been reported missing. The three men were taken to Rawene, two being placed under arrest and the third, who was suffering from ■bruises and shock, was admitted to the Rawene Hospital. His condition is not serious.