SENSATIONAL ARREST

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 74, Issue 243, 14 October 1931, Page 10

SENSATIONAL ARREST

POLICE USE REVOLVERS DETECTIVES’ LONG VIGIL TWO BROTHERS IN CUSTODY. PURSUIT OF MISSING CAR. Two men were arrested under dramatic cuicuinstances at a lonely house at Swanson early on Saturuuy moiuiug, states the New Zealand Herald. Deiuc lives had been waiting near tno house, which was then deserted, since the preceding afternoon, and when two men airived and failed to stop on being challenged the detectives fired three shots. The men, who had commenced Lu make a dash for liberty, stopped and submitted quietly to arrest, A pulice searcii of the house revealed a. remarkable miscellany of contents. A large quantity of gelignite, detonators, fuse, benzine, and a can of gunpowder were found, in addition to drapery and merchandise of all descriptions. This was seized and taken to the police station, tho poli'ce van having to make two trips to carry the goods, while a further number of articles was taken by a motor-car, which made two trips. There was practicably no furniture in the house except stretchers and bedding. The house, which stands well back from a side-road off the route to Ranui, on the western side of the railway line at Swanson, was rented by two men on September 17. Since that time, one or both of the men, as well as a woman with two young children, were seen about the house daily by neighbours, who state that a motor-car was frequently driven up the winding drive to the house in the early hours of the morning although it was never seen iu the daytime. Missing Car Followed. A motor-car was removed from the home of its owner, Mr. J. Martin, 75, Mountain Road, Epsom, on either August 9 or August 10. For two months the police had been endeavouring to trace it, but without success until during the past week a car answering the description of the missing vehicle was seen on the Great North Road on various nights. On one occasion it was sighted near New Lynn and chased by a local constable in another car, but the speed of the suspicious-looking vehicle was too groat for the pursuers and it gradually drew away from them, finally escaping down a side-road. Last Thursday evening a car resembling the missing one was seen in Henderson township, and the police again set out in pursuit. The car turned up the Great North road toward Swanson and the driver used all the speed at his command, at times reaching 60 miles an hour or more. The pursuers drove at a speed of over 50 miles an hour whenever conditions permitted, but could not hold their own with the other vehicle, which gradually obtained such a lead that it was lost to sight on the winding road. Tho police party searched a number of by-roads near Swanson and Waitakere, going some distance into the ranges, but could not find a trace of the missing vehicle. No Resistance to Arrest. After further inquiries the two police officers in charge of the search for the •car, Detectives Packman and Hayes, had their attention drawn by Constable Rushton, of Henderson, to the house at Swanson. On Friday afternoon the three went to the house, which was then deserted. The two detectives remained for an all-night vigil, while the constable later returned to Henderson. After they had been watching the house for many hours, the detectives heard two men approaching on foot, and called on them to halt and explain who they were. The men, who were then within 10 yards of the house, immediately turned and commenced to run, but the detectives fired two shots in quick succession, again calling on the men to halt. After a third had been fired, one man fell on his face on the ground, while the other stood motionless. Neither resisted when they were handcuffed together and taken into custody. Recovery of the Car. At daybreak the work of removing all the goods in the house was commenced, while the men were taken to the detective office. Other inquiries were made by the police and the missing car was recovered on a road leading from Swanson to Albany, where a number of other articles, chiefly clothing, was seized. When it was stolen the vehicle had covered less than 500 miles, but the distance recorder now registers 4081 miles. The car has been slightly damaged, a side lamp, the tail light, the back carrier, and the makers’ radiator badges having been taken off. The vur’s original number-plates were also taken off, another plate, bearing the number 11-333, being affixed at the front of the vehicle. There was no rear numberplate. Tho arrested men, Bernard Charles Cole, aged 26, labourer, and William Cole, aged 24, mechanic, appeared before Mr. F. K. Hunt, S.M., in the Police Court on Saturday and were charged with stealing, on or about August 10, a motor-car valued at £535, the property of James Martin. On the application of Detective-Ser-geant Kelly, who said a number of other charges was pending, both accused were remanded for a week. No bail was allowed.