BOMB ABOARD STEAMER

Taranaki Daily News, 11 August 1932, Page 7

BOMB ABOARD STEAMER

SHIP’S OFFICER CHARGED

ALLEGED ADMISSION OF GUILT. DETECTIVE SUBMITS STATEMENT. “WISHED TO SCARE CAPTAIN,” By Telegraph.—Press Association. Christchurch, Last Night. George Thomas Mouneer, aged 36, ship’s officer, at Lyttelton to-day was charged with placing a bomb on the steamer -Tees, with intent to do bodily Injury, to Captain Albert Baldwin Anderson. Captain Anderson gave evidence concerning the finding of the bomb outside his cabin. He shook it and it rattled When he opened it he saw gelignite. Captain Anderson, continuing, said that in February, 1930, Mouneer was chief mate of the Tees. Captain Dowell was master and . witness was second mate. About a month later Mouneer had some trouble with the crew at Timaru and was discharged. Witness was then appointed chief mate and later, on the resignation of Dowell, was appointed master. From the time Mouneer left the ship up to August 5 Mouneer had been a frequent visitor to the ship but had never spoken to witness. Reginald Stanley Oakley, foreman of. relief works at Lyttelton, said some of the work done by the men required explosives and gelignite was used. Accused had been working on relief under witness. Had Mouneer wished to obtain gelignite he would have had access to the box where it was kept. If half a plug were taken he would not miss it. There was between half and three parts of a plug of gelignite in the piece produced. If it exploded in a person’s hand there was sufficient force in it to kill that person. Detective Lawson gave evidence that when arrested Mouneer made a statement in which he said ho had felt hurt at' tho way Captain Anderson had acted towards him and at the way he talked about him; also because Captain Anderson had discharged another member of the crew, Gibson, accused’s friend. “All this sort of thing was worked; he was getting the dirt in all the time and getting away » with it,” continued the statement. “I got so incensed that I decided to put tho wind up him.” The statement went on to admit raking a piece of gelignite from a box at the relief works, making a bomb, placing it in a tin and addressing it to Captain Anderson. At 1 ami. on August 5 he put the parcel on the captain’s step, near his cabin. No one. else had anything to do with it. He thought the bomb would scare the captain. He was now sorry ho had done this foolish thing. After hearing other evidence Mouneer pleaded not guilty and was committed tor trial.