MAN SHOT IN THE BACK

Taranaki Daily News, 18 January 1930, Page 14

MAN SHOT IN THE BACK

YOUTH BEFORE THE COURT j attempted murder charge. I POLICE PRODUCE FINGER-PRINTS Christchurch, January 16. A charge of attempting to murder Edward Hammond om July 1G was to-day made against Charles Robert Gray, the younger of the two brothers who had previously pleaded guilty to «>1 charges of arson, attempted arson and burglary. Accused, who is 17 years old, pleaded Dot guilty. He was committed for trial. ; Accused was further charged with breaking and entering the shop of Hammond and Turner, at 132 Oxford Terrace, on July IG. Another charge was one of breaking and entering the same premises on Jiily 21. He pleaded guilty to these offences. ! Mr. E. D. Mosley, S.M., was on the “Bench. Mr. M. J. Burns, appeared for accused, and Chief-Detective Carroll conducted the police proceedings. WOUNDED MAN’S STORY. In giving evidence Edward Hammond eaid: “I returned to my office at 9.30 p'.m. on the day in question to do some work.. I locked the front door after me. I saw a Suitcase on the counter packed with goods, and an empty one on the . floor. I saw a jemmy on the counter, and saw the communicating door open.. I heard a noise from the back store. I ' went through and saw a young fellow there in the light of my torch, and asked him what he was doing. He replied, fThieving.’ He said he came in through the roof, but denied that he had been there before. “When I told him he must come to the police station with me, he asked to be allowed to get his coat. As he was getting it he asked to be let off* and sitid something about a shock to his mother. - I said he would have to come to the station with me, but that I would try |o make it as light as possible. He put his coat on. I went down the shop with him, and as I was unlocking the door I was shot in the back. MANAGED TO REACH FOOTPATH. “I heard him running back down the ehop, and knew I would have to unlock the door and get assistance. I just • managed to unlock the door and get to the footpath. There were two ladies on the footpath outside. I also hailed a passing motor-cyclist. Another man came along shortly after, and I told him all about it. The police came along very shortly, and I was taken to St. George's Hospital, where I was for about three weeks. The bullet is still in the lung. I had no recollection of seeing the man who shot me before.” The Chief-Detective: Have you recognised him since? Witness: Yes, he is the accused. The magistrate: Have you any doubt about that? Witness: None at all. Mr. Burns: How far was he away when you were shot. Witness: He must have been right behind me. Dr. W. H. Sampson said he examined Hammond at St. George’s Hospital on July 17. An X-ray photograph showed a bullet in the left chest cavity, just behind the heart. -The bullet had entered about two inches higher than, where it finished in tho lur.g. Two X-ray photographs were produced in court, showing that the bujlet was still In the lung. It would be dangerous to attempt to remove the bullet, said witness. / LIFE DEFINITELY IN DANGER, “When I saw tho bullet I could not make but why he was not dead, considering the size of the bullet,” said Dr. Simpson; “His life was definitely in danger.” • Constable A. T. Gillum said that at 2.15 a.m. on December 18 he had arrested accused in Manchester Street, and found that his homo was in Antigua Street. He found a German automatic pistol (produced) -on the premises in a wash-house. A discharged cartridge (produced was in the chamber. Claude M. Francis, finger-print expert at police headquarters, Wellington, said that on July 19 at the Christchurch detective office he examined numerous articles (produced in court) for fingerprints. The articles had been found in Hammond and Turner’s by DetectiveSergeant Young. On a rifle stock which / was in a suitease he found three fingerprints. On another rifle he found one finger-print. On December 19 the fingerprints of Charles Robert Gray were received in Wellington. On the same day he identified the three prints on one of the rifles as being those of the left middle, ring and little fingers cf Charles Robert Gray, and the one on the other rifle as being that of his left little finger. The photographs were produced, and witness enumerated ihe points of similarity. There was a total of 64 points. “I am satisfied beyond all reasonable doubt that the prints on the rifles and •6n the .accused’s finger-print form were made by one and the same person,” concluded the witness. EVIDENCE BY DETECTIVE. Detective-Sergeant J. B. Young said that he and Detective Thomas found Hammond in the care of several people. He was in pain, and had difficulty in breathing. On making an examination of the'premises he found there was a hole in the roof of Hammond and Turner’s workshop. It measured about 12in. by Tin., and had been made by removing some slates from the roof that gave access to the whole of the premises. Witness described the finding of the suitcases. The smaller suitcase contained an air pistol, an automatic pistol and pistol ammunition. The goods disturbed in the shop were all revolvers or rifles, and the parts and ammunition for them. On December 18 witness interviewed the accused, who, in a signed statement, said he had'gone to Hammond and Turner’s and climbed on to the roof. He had a spanner, a torch, a jemmy and a revolver. Ho had entered the premises in the same way before. “I got some ammunition from the shop and was getting other goods when Mr. Hammond came in,” said the statement. “I shot him in the back. I had broken the doors into the Combined Buyers’ building, and from there into the right-of-way. I used the pistol I stole from the museum.” The accused was then committed for trial. • >■. ■ > ;■ The charges of breaking and entering were based on the same evidence, and 1

Gray was committed for sentence on each of the three charges. On a number of summary changes, including theft and wilful damage, with which the brothers were separately and jointly charged, they were convicted, and sentence was deferred.