TWENTY MINUTE STRUGGLE.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17159, 1 October 1923, Page 10

TWENTY MINUTE STRUGGLE.

A PLUCKY ARREST. vSpecial to tu© " Star.* > AUCKLAND. September 29. For the past two months there have been numerous burglaries at night in Devonport, and, early this morning, Constable Nehoff, who had been specially selected for night patrol duty, made an arrest in sensational circumstances, after a twenty minutes’ struggle. When outside the premises of the Auckland Meat Company at 3.45 o’clock Constable Nehoff flashed his torch through the window and discerned the figure of a man inside. Maintaining a careful watch he waited for the man to emerge, but the intruder must have realised that his presence war: discovered, for he took advantage of the noise made by a passing milk cart, and wrenched open the back door. Jumping a six-foot iron fence he made off into the darkness with the constable in close pursuit. Two fences, one ten feet high, had to be scaled by the constable. lie warned the man to stop, and then fired a shot from his revolver as the man continued to run in the direction of the Takapuna racecourse. The shot was fired chiefly as an alarm. A few paces further on the. man turned and presented a revolver at the constable. It is alleged that he threatened to shoot. At that the constable fired another shot, the bullet grazing the man s hip The man “then threw away his revolver. but the constable was close upon him, and, as he turned, leaped, bearing him to the ground. The constable also dispensed with his revolver, and, for twenty minutes, a fierce struggle ensued. The prisoner is a V'rofessional wrestler, and Constable Nehoff. himself an experienced wrestler, had great difficulty in handcuffing his quarrv. Eventually the arrest was completed. The man, who was wearing a false moustache, is 6ft 2in in height, weighs between 15st and 16st. and is about for tv vears of age. As a professional wrestler he is known as “ Soldier Thompson.” but his real name is Alfred Arthur Hinds At his residence, No. 2. Morrison Avenue, the police, it is alleged, found a large quantity of stolen property. Pm Press Association. AUCKLAND, September 30. In connection with the arrest of Hinds his housekeeper has been arrested on a charge of receiving.