DISTRICTS TERRORISED

Taranaki Daily News, 17 July 1930, Page 13

DISTRICTS TERRORISED

RAMPANT INCENDIARISM

NINE YOLXi; MEN APPREHENDED.

STATEMENTS BEFORE COUR I’

By A«*oc?4vJoh.

Hamilton, Last Night.

.All concerned in wholesale incendiarism and theft and destruction of motorcars, nine young men styling themselves ■’The Gangsters,” who for the past several months have been terrorising the Cambridge and Waikato districts appeared in the Hamilton Magistrate’s Court to-day and were committed to the Supreme Court at- Hamilton to be dealt with. The total value of the buildings and ears destroyed involves approximately £5OOO.

Hie well of the court was crowded, those present .including a large contingent from Cambridge.

The names of the accused are: Alfred Donningtoi) Brown (aged 23), Edward Daniel Brown (aged 21), John Meredith (aged 28), John Vickers Featherstone J (aged 18), Harvey Charles Hail (aged 22), Sidney Walter Goodall (aged 21), Herzcl Edward Orr (aged 21), George Gordon Stewart Simpson (aged 21) and David Edward Harrison (aged 19). It is alleged against the gang that they set alight to the Rototuna Hall, value £1600; Frankton West Hall, v.alue £800; a house in Thornton Road, Cambridge, a dwelling in Alpha Street, Cambridge, a house in Albert Street, Hamilton East, and a shed in Hukanui Road. They are also charged with the burning of cars, the destruction by fire of two hay stacks at Ngaruawahia, and theft of a ear belonging to Henry Jones. One car after being stolen was pushed over the Narrows Bridge at Tamaherc. Featherstone is alleged to have been concerned in the greatest number of offences, there -being 19 charges against him. E. D. Brown conies next with 18, A. D. Brown 14, Hall 13, Goodall 7, Meredith 5, Simpson 2 and Harrison and Onone each.

Five of the accused were charged with setting alight to an unoccupied house in Albert Street. In this case Detective White said the five accused admitted in a statement having participated in setting both, the house and a car on-fire. Hall and Featherstone, it was stated, set fire to the house, the others remaining in the car. All returned later, after the fire brigade had arrived, and watched the place burn. In a written statement signed by all the accused it was mentioned that some of the party had called at a house in Albert Street where two girls lived. The girls mentioned that the empty house was a harbour for rats and suggested that it was “up to the visitors to do the dirty work.” The girls said they would like to “see the last of the house” and asked them to burn it down. They acted on the suggestion.