JAMES AND CHARLES GRAY FACE LENGTHY CHARGE-LIST.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 18960, 6 January 1930, Page 9

JAMES AND CHARLES GRAY FACE LENGTHY CHARGE-LIST .

Hearing Of “Fire-bug ” Cases Will Occupg Several Days .

James Wilfred Gray, aged 19 years, and Charles Robert Gray, aged 17 years, whose arrest recently caused a sensation, will appear in the Magistrate’s Court to-mor-row. These youths, the Police Commissioner has stated, have confessed to nearly all the mysterious fire-bug cases that occurred in June and July, as well as to numerous burglaries. In addition it is said that one of them has confessed to the shooting of Mr Edward Hammond.

Although eventually the two accused will have to face nearly fifty charges, it is probable that the police will prefer against them to-morrow only the charge on which they were arrested, that of breaking and entering the retail boot store of Mr I. J. Brookes in Manchester Street. A further remand may then be asked for. A Lengthy Case. Detective'Sergeant Young and Act-ing-Detectives Halcrow ' and Findlay have been working hard for some weeks past clearing up the details of ithe various cases. but so huge is the task that they have not yet been able to bring them to finality. The completed case will take levetal days to hear. Nearly one hundred witnesses will be subpoenaed. ‘ The main charges will concern the‘ shooting of Mr Hammond and the incendiary fires at Dobson's garage, Messrs D. H. Brown’s bulk store in Carlyle Street, Messrs J. M. Heywood's furniture store, Messrs Bing, Harris and Co.’s warehouse, and the Rev J. K. Archer’s home in Tennyson Street. There will also be a lengthy list of minor charges, including some dealing l|lllllllllllll||llllllllllfllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllnllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll

’with fires in a number of suburban houses. breaking and entering, and of giving false fire alarms. Amongst the minor charges will be one of attempting to set fire to a petrol tank at the Oasis Service Station at the corner of Cashel land Liverpool Streets. Had this petrol tank been set on fire, the results would probably have been disastrous. The tank was nearly empty of petrol, but was filled with fumes. Had fire been introduced, it is not possible to estimate what damage or even loss of life might have been caused. The attempt at this crime, it is stated authoritative. Iy, is amongst those admitted by the youths, Gray.‘ The Hammond Shooting. The charges will not concern both boys in each case. In the Hammond case, for instance, only one of the boys is said to be implicated. The police case in this particular instance will be a strong one. It is stated that not only have they a confession but that they have finger-print evidence. The same boy, alone, is implicated in the burglary at Messrs Tisdall’s, the sporting goods firm from whence the rifle was stolen, with which one of the youths was armed, when arrested by Constable Albert Gillum.