DEVONPORT BURGLARIES.

Waipa Post, Volume XXIV, Issue 1424, 8 November 1923, Page 5

DEVONPORT BURGLARIES.

‘SOLDIER’ THOMPSON SENTENCED AUCKLAND, Wednesday. Eighteen months’ imprisonment vrith hard labour was the sentence passed on Alfred Arthur Hinds (42) at the Supreme Court this morning. Hinds, ’. better known as Soldier Thompson, professional wrestler, pleaded guilty in the 'lower Court* to eight charges of breaking, entering and theft, and one of theft. It will he remembered that he was arrested in sensational circumstances early one morning by Constable Nehoff. When passing by the premises of the Auckland Meat Company at Vauxhall Rpad, Devonport, the constable saw Hinds within. A chase followed, the constable firing a revolver, and the big man’s arrest was effected after a determined struggle which lasted 20 minutes.

In passing sentence, Mr Justice Herdman said it seemed to him .that Hinds had made up his mind to be a dangerous criminal. The police report showed that. His Honor w,ould give Hinds credit for a good record, and for having helped the police, yet it must be apparent that he had adopted a criminal calling. When arrested he was equipped with a gopd set of housebreaking instruments, gelignite and detonators. Why a man of his capabilities as a mechanic should go into this criminal way of living it was difficult to understand. In all, Hinds had broken into eight different places, arid the offences were very serious. It was just as well the arresting constable was something of a wrestler, else more serious consequences might have followed. Hinds could not be given his liberty—imprisonment was the ,only course. On the expiry of the sentence now being served he would undergo a term of If: months’ imprisonment with hard labour. /