A NONCHALANT BURGLAR

Taranaki Daily News, 18 July 1930, Page 6

A NONCHALANT BURGLAR

FIVE OFFENCES AT HAWERA.

MAN COMMITTED FOR SENTENCE

Fiction knows no more cheerful burglar than John William .McClure, aged 51, who appeared in the Hawera Police Court yesterday to answer for a number of thefts and the breaking and entering of several Hawera business premises on or about June. 25 last.

Apparently unconcerned with what was going on, the accused leaned over the dock, his chin resting in his cupped hands and his piercing, deep-set, dark eyes concentrated on the Press table. But at the conclusion of each witness’ evidence he sprang to attention and. courteously inclining his head towards the bench, remarked with a cheerful grin, “Nd questions, Your Worships.” When asked by the bench, Messrs L. A. Bone and G. A. Burgess, Justices of the Peace, if he wished to call evidence, accused, who had pleaded guilty to the charges, requested permission to make a few remarks. “It lookfl as if I will ultimately get a long stretch,” he said, “and I would like to say—io say that—that—. By Jove! I had it on the tip of my tongue but I’ve forgotten it. Will you allow me, Your Wonships, to er—” The Bench: Have you any evidence to call? • Accused: No, thank you. I do not wish to waste the time of the court. The charges preferred against McClure were:— At Hawera, on . or about June ,25, he broke and entered the warehouse of the Farmers’ Co-op. Organisation Society, I td., and stole a raincoat valued at £2 18s. At Hawera, on or about June 25, he broke and entered the counting house o* Hodder and Tolley, Ltd., and stole a raincoat? a cardigan and nine cigars, of a total value of £2 9s, the property of B. W. H. Smart. At Hawera, on or about June 25, he broke and entered the counting house of George Syme and Co., Ltd., with intent to commit a crime. At Hawera, on or about June 25, ,he broke and entered the counting house of the New Zealand Government Railways, with intent to commit a crime. At Hawera, on or about June 25, he broke and entered the warehouse of Newton King, Ltd., and stole stamps to the value of about Is. At Wanganui, on or about June 23, he broke and entered the warehouse of the New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency, Co., Ltd., and stole stamps to the value of £l, a canvas overcoat valued at £2, and a cigarette case valued at £2. On the Wanganui charge accused was, at the request of' Detective A. B. Mciklejohn, who' prosecuted, remanded to appear at Wanganui. Pleading guilty to the other chargee he was committed to the Supreme Court at Wellington for sentence. John McKinnon, manager of the Farmers’ Co-op, warehouse, in Union Street, said he left the premises at 5.30 p.m. on June 24, everything being secure. Next day he discovered that an entrance had been effected through a window being forced open. A drawer in a desk had been opened and the contents scattered about the floor, a tin of biscuits, and a tin of fruit had been opened and the contents partially consumed, and an overcoat had been stolen, its removable lining having been taken out and dropped on the floor. The coat submitted appeared to be the stolen one. Benjamin William Henry Smart, accountant at Hodder and Tolley’s, Hawera, said that he was called early on the morning of June 25 to the office, where an examination disclosed that the Wellington Street window had been forced .open. Inside the. office practically every drawer had been removed and the contents scattered over the floor. A cupboard in one desk had also been prised open. On & chair was found an oilskin coat, which did not belong to any member of the firm, It had the name “Anderson” printed inside it. An old overcoat and a cardigan owned by witness were miseing, as was a number of cigars. The eoat produced was his. Arthur Stanley Worrall, storeman at Newton King’s seed store in Nelson Street, Hawera, said that when ho left the premises about 7.30 pan. on June 24 everything was in order. The following morning when he opened the door he found the inside of one till upon the counter and other things awry. Some stamps had been removed, and he then saw that one window had been prised open and another partly opened with “some sort of jemmy.” Lawrence Hector Carrol, accountant At Geo. Syme and Co., Ltd., Princes Street, Hawera, said that on Juno 24 he left the premises at 10 p.m., when everything was secure. He received a telephone message and arrived about 2.30 a.m., when he discovered that tho cash drawer had been opened. There had been nothing in it, however. In his office a coat had been knocked on the floor. Used matches were about the floor and a cupboard door was open. The slide covering the keyhole of the safe was missing. Nothing was stolen from the premises beyond a tray of unimportant papers, which were subsequently found in the adjoining section. William Murphy, a porter at the Ilawcra railway station, said he arrived for duty at the station at 2.20 a.m. on June 25. Ho discovered that the booking office bud been turned “almost upside down,” several drawers being open, two of them having been forced. A tin cashbox, broken open, was lying on the floor. The door of a locker containing the safe was open and several keys were near it on the floor. He had immediately telephoned to Sergeant Henry and informed him of the breaking and entering. Detective P. Kearney described an interview with accused at the New Plymouth Police Station and produced a statement, in which accused admitted the offences. When arrested accused had the blade of a plane in his possession, and the marks found on some of tho windows forced open could have been made by a similar instrument. ‘ : After beifig eoir.inittfed by ■'Wiith 1 ,

tho accused congratulated the clerk of the court on his typing ability. “You’ve got it over in 40 minutes,” he said, "and it took an hour and a-half up there.” The reference apparently was to New ( J '. ; '.!<!'■ •‘•■h!.: L'tei iff..;’ M■' '• :