Committed for Trial.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 6885, 21 June 1890, Page 3

Committed for Trial.

John Allen, on remand, was charged today (before E. Beetham, Esq., E.M., and E. Westenra, Enq.), w: JV attempting to break into the premises of Messrs Mason, Struthers and Co. on the night of Wedneßday, June 17. Mr Pender prosecuted, and called Chief Detective O'Connor, who repeated his former evidence with respect to the arrest of the accused, aud the circumstances that led up to it. He further Btatcd that he subsequently picked up a padlock (produced) on the ground near where accutsod was. A small piece had been recently broken off. Closo to this there was a window, which was closed with two iron shutters, which ran . on wheels, and closed with two rings and a padlock. One of these rings was broken. There were marks on the shutter showing that the ring had been recently tampered with. Witness then went to tho police dep6t, where accused was in custody of Sergeant Briggs, and charged him with the offence, showing him the tools found near where he had first met accused. Witness then communicated with Mr Struthers, and met him at the warehouse. Mr Struthers tried to unlock the Bide door, but found thut that door also had been tampered with, as tho lock had been bent. Sergeant Briggs said he was present in the Police office when Chief Detectivo O'Connor charged accused with this offence, when he denied it, saying that it was another man whom accused said he met in Manchester street, that had been trying to get into tho store. This man, accused said, cleared when he heard Detective O'Connor going down the right-of-way. Accused said the other *nan dropped the tools and accused picked them up. Eobert Struthers, a member of the firm of Mason, Struthers and Co., said he lclt the premises carefully closed and locked shortly after six in the evening, and from what he had heard through the telephone, he met Detective O'Connor at the warehouse about midnight on Wednesday last. Witness explained ho w the iron shutters in the right-of-way were fastened. In addition to being fastened on the outside by the rings and padlock, they were bolted on the inside, and, therefore, might be prized a little, but could not be opened. Witness subsequently went to tho front door, and found marks which showed that an attempt had been made to prize that door open. The marks made on that door had evidently been made with the tools produced, as they fitted exactly. Part of the wood of the cedar door was forced off. Tho lock was also broken. Considerable force had been used to do the damage to the lock. There was a large Chubb's lock higher up in the door, which had resisted the attempt to open the door. Bad seen the accused, but had never employed him. George Andrews, pork butcher, eaid he was passing up Colombo street, after eleven o'clock on Wednesday night, when he Baw two men, of whom tho accused was one, standing unconcerned near the door of Mason, Struthers and Co. James Eadford, a painter in the employ of Messrs P. and D. Duucan, identified the screw wrench as one which he had been using when at work on Wednesday evening. He missed it the next day when he went to work. Henry Ditford, another employee of P. and D. Duncan's, identified the counter-sinker produced as one madu specially for use in chaff-cutting machines. Accused had nothing to say, and was committed for trial.