WELLINGTON BURGLARIES

Stratford Evening Post, Volume III, Issue 155, 21 September 1934, Page 4

WELLINGTON BURGLARIES

TWO MEN CHARGED \

Press A ;-<».'MHi'ioi'—OotivrighT. Wellington, September 20. '■ Though it had been stated by the i police that about 50 charges would be I preferred against two men, only 10 were 1 made when they appeared to-day. The ! accu-ed were labourers. Arthur Cudby, I aged 36, and Mervyn John Cudby, aged 132. and the charges were all connected | with burglaries at Lyali Bay and other ; places about Wellington. The hearing I was Bdjourned to October 2. Twenty- ' one civilians and seven police officers J are witnesses, and there are many ex- ; hibits.

! The police evidence revealed that in | the period between June 1 anr 1 August | 20 of this year 117 houses had been j broken into in Wellington and suburbs, i and over £52 stolen. The police susI pected accused of being the principal j offenders.

j The pass-books of Mervyn John Cudby j and Mrs. Cudby indicated that approxi- ! mately £IOO hao. been deposited between ! those dates and £43 was discovered in j Mrs. Cudby's handbag whei. their house j was searched. Shown a list of houses i that had been broken into, one of the j accused had ticked off on it the houses ! which he had burgled. Detective Waterson said that- Mervyn I Cudby when shown the list of houses ; broken into denied he had anything to ; do with breaking into any of the houses. j He said he would plead guilty to being ; in possession of housebreaking instruI ments, but would deny breaking into | any houses. Questioned about a large j sum of money possessed by him and j his wife, and as to how he got- the l money seeing he had not been working ; for a considerable time, he said he:won j it backing racehorses, backing with two I bookmakers. He admitted he had- not !becn working for 12 months. Detective j Waterson said he founJ at Sterling's j house a heel mark which corresponded i with the rubber heel of a boot found in ] Mervyn Cudby's house. . ,