ROUGH HANDLING FOR CONSTABLE.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17863, 3 June 1926, Page 4

ROUGH HANDLING FOR CONSTABLE.

MASKED MEN ATTEMPT TO BREAK INTO SHOP. (Special to the “ Star.”) MELBOURNE, May 15. As a sequel to the disturbance outside a small grocery shop in Burlington Street, Oakleigh, owned by Mrs Jene M’Auliffe, early on Monday morning, when a police constable received a rough handling from four masked men who were alleged to have tried to break into the shop, Frederick Winton, 10, labourer; Alfred Arnold, 21, labourer; James Laffan, 23, labourer, and Percy Wyhoon, 21, labourer, all residents of Oakleigh, were sentenced to six months’ imprisonment by the Oakleigh Court to-dav. In view of the youth of the offenders the sentences were suspended, however, on their entering into bonds of £25 each to be of good behaviour for 12 months. The four men were charged with having, without lawful excuse, been in a yard, and with being rogues and vagabonds. All four pleaded not guilty. Sergeant Thomson, in opening the case, alleged that three of the accused were in a shop in Atherton Road early on Sunday night. When refused permission to drink some beer they had the men became abusive and attempt-1 ed to smash the shop fittings. The police were informed, but on arrival at the shop the men had departed. Later on the same night they were seen in company with Wyhoon under the Hanover Street railway bridge drinking the contents of beer bottles. Jene M’Auliffe, widow, Burlington Street, Oakleigh, stated that at 12.15 a.m. on Monday she heard someone enter the side gate of her premises. Shortly afterwards she heard a voice cry out, “Are you there, Mrs M’Auliffe?” She went to the side door. On opening it. she saw Arnold and another man standing on the doorstep. Both had handkerchiefs on their faces covering their noses and mouths. Close bv were the other men, who had their faces covered in the same manner. Hand Over Mouth. One of the men, said the witness, stepped forward and placed his foot to prevent the door from being closed, and said, “Do you sell groceries?” She replied, “Yes; what do you want?” At that moment he tried to push the door open and get past her. The,man said, “I have a cut ej-e, so let jne in for a minute.” She asked them to go away, but they refused and Winton called the other men on to rob the shop. She tried to pull the covering from Arnold’s face, but he hit her hand away, One of the men then called Out, “Go, on, boy, go on in.” She could see then that the intruders were overpowering her and called out for help. Immediately a hand was placed over her mouth. The men then ran away. Constable Arrives. Constable Frederick Tucker stated that about 12.30 p.m. on Monday, when walking along Burlington Street, he heard a woman shouting for help. He went to the fence bordering the shop and saw four men. Two of them were standing at the door, one at the window, while the other was lying under a brick wall. All four men had handkerchiefs drawn across their faces. lie heard a woman say, “You are Arnold,” and one of the men replied, “Qh, no. You are mistaken.” The woman again shouted for help, and he saw that the men were trying to force the door. lie then jumped the fence and one of the men shouted, “Look out, it's Tucker the ‘John.’ ” The accused Laffan was the first to run away. Witness gave chase, overtook him and pulled the handkerchief from off his face. lie punched Laffan on the side of the head and he dropped to the ground. Witness then returned to the shop, but the other men were standing on the road. Laffan, who was still on the ground, called out for help, and the remainder of the party began throwing blue metal at Tucker. Later on all four men escaped. A few hours later, with Constable Bullock, he arrested the four accused in bed at their homes.