ASSAULT AND BURGLARY

Taranaki Daily News, 23 May 1934, Page 6

ASSAULT AND BURGLARY

BRUTAL CRIME IN WAIKATO STOREKEEPER STRUCK ON HEAD. POLICE HUNT FOR ASSAILANTS. ARREST AFTER EXCITING CHASE. By Telegraph—Press Association. Hamilton, May 22. Police cars to-day are scouring the Eastern Waikato district for two young men who, after a brutal assault on a storekeeper at Tirau early last evening, appropriated a car at Hinuera and entered upon a night of crime, including four cases of theft or attempted theft. The first episode occurred at Tirau, where, at the shop of Mr. S. J. Bear, butcher, an attempt was made to remove the safe. The burglars forced entry through the rear entrance, broke open the door of the office, removed the safe and lifted it upon the counter. At this stage, however, Mr. Bear’s daughter and a solicitor passed, and, seeing the safe on the counter, entered. ■ The thieves apparently decamped by the back door. About an hour and a half later Mr. Frank Rose, a storekeeper of Tirau, found the locks of his garage door forced, and on making further investigation he suddenly came across two men in the darkness. One grasped him round the arms, while the other struck him with repeated blows on the head. He fell to the ground, fought strenuously and called loudly for help before his assailants successfully gagged him with a handkerchief. , The cries for assistance were heard by a petrol station attendant and shortly afterwards by several other neighbours. The attendant rushed to the aid of the injured man, who was bleeding profusely from extensive wounds on the head and was lying on the ground. Beside him were a steel and a chopper. Later a car was appropriated at Hinuera and the thieves were subsequently surprised at Matamata in attempting to force the lock of a petrol pump. At Waharoa they were successful in the quest for benzine, the lock of a pump being smashed and eight gallons of petrol being removed. At Hinuera a store was enter-' ed and groceries stolen. SUSPECTED MAN ARRESTED. \ EXCITING CHASE IN MOTORS. ' Hamilton, Last Night After a thrilling chase at Karapiro, near Cambridge, one of the men believed to have been associated in the chapter of incidents comprising breaking, entering, theft and assault that occurred last night, was arrested this afternoon by Constables Kelly and Cotter. Senior-Sergeant Carroll, Rotorua, was driving a police car near Karapiro when a suspicious car was seen, but the driver made off before any opportunity of accosting him could be obtained, at a speed of 60. miles an hour over the rough country roads. He outstripped the police and made good his escape. Following up, the police came across the same car, believed to be the one stolen from Hinuera and abandoned an hour or two later, and a young man was arrested.