SERIES OF BURGLARIES

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 75, Issue 178, 30 July 1932, Page 5

SERIES OF BURGLARIES

FOUR MEN BEFORE COURT PLEAS OF GUILTY ENTERED. GOODS REMOVED ON HORSES. Eighteen burglaries which occurred in Wanganui from December 1931, to July 1932, were cleared up at the Magistrate’s Court yesterday when four young men pleaded guilty to charges brought by the I police. They were committed for sentence to the Supreme Court, which is to sit at Wanganui on August 8. Dr. Sherman and Mr. C. IL E. Rhodes, J. ’sP., were on the Bench. The accused were Herbert Vivian Walkinton Buttrey, aged 23 years, a labourer, Thomas Butler, aged 30 years, a farmer. Victor Robert Ward, and Clarence William Davey, aged 24, labourers. Buttrey was charged 37 times in all, 11 times conjointly with Ward, twice with Butler, twice with Davey and twice separately. Ward was charged 12 times in all,*’ 11 times with Buttrey, and once separately: Butler was charged twice with Buttrey, and Davey charged three times, twice with Buttrey and once separately for kjiowingly receiving stolen goods. The total value of the property stolen, which included money, cigarettes, tobacco, cigarette papers, chocolate, butter, beans, and jewellery, amounted to £143 19s lOd. Of that, amount Butler and Buttrey accounted for £3B 12s 6d, and Buttrey and Ward, for £5l/9/4. Buttrey also accounted for £8 8s himself and Ward £25 10s. Davey and Buttrey accounted for £lO. Buttrey and Ward, ii| their statements to the police, said that their reasons for committing the thefts were because they were hard up. They shared the proceeds of the thefts, which they usually took to Castlecliff and divided between them in the lupins. A slasher was used by Buttrey and Ward to break into the buildings, while Buttrey and Butler used a pickhead.

According to statements made by accused to the police, the majority of the breaking and entering was carried out by Buttrey while the men accompanying him waited outside the premises and kept watch. Buttrey and Butler were charged conjointly with: Breaking and entering the shop of J. D. Hammond, Ingestre Street, with intent to commit theft, on July 14; with breaking and entering the shop of F. Holmes, Gonville, and stealing a quantity of clothing of a total value of £3B 12s 6d. Buttrey and Ward were conjointly charged with: Breaking and entering the store of D. R. Sharpe. Mosston Road, on March 30, and with stealing £5; with breaking and entering by night the shop of Ernest Harold Pond, Castlccliff, on December 14, 3931. and stealing cigarettes and money to a value of £4 3s; with breaking and entering the shop of A. J. Fisher, Gonville, on December 18, 1931, by night and stealing cigarettes and tobacco valued at £9 5s 6d; and again on March 28 and stealing goods to the value of £3 7s 3d, and by similar procedure stealing £3 from Chainey Bros., Gonville; 5s from J. J. Berryman, Gonville; £1 14s from E. H. Moore, Gonvine on December 18, 1931; breaking and entering the house of T. Cuthbertson, Gonville, with intent to commit theft, on December 18, 1931; stealing tobacco value at £9 4s 4d from the Maypole Stores, Aramoho, on March 28, 1932; stealing cigarettes and tobacco from W. Greaves, Wanganui East, valued at £l5; stealing cigarettes, chocolate and a side of bacon, the whole valued at £lO 10s 3d, from R. G. Thompson, Gonville, on January 12, 1932.

Buttrey was further charged with breaking and entering the shop of T. R. Luff, Castlecliff, and stealing cigarettes valued at 15s on January 27, and with breaking and entering by night the shop of journey’s End. Castlecliff Beach, and stealing cigarettes, tobacco and chocolate valued at £7 13s, the property of T. R. Luff.

William Clarence Davey, in conjunction with Buttrey, was charged with receiving at Ohui, on July 15, clothing valued at £2, knowing the, same to have been dishonestly obtained, and with breaking and entering the shop of Kernohan’s, Ltd., Taylorville, on December 29, 1931 and stealing cigarettes valued at £lO.

Ward was further charged with stealing from the house of J. L. Craig, Castlecliff, a gold bangle valued at £5, a pendant and chain valued at £5, an opal ring valued at £5, a wedding ring valued at £2, a brooch valued at £1 10s to a total value of £25 10s (property of the household). Evidence for Police.

Ernest Harold Pond, a grocer in business in Rangiora Street, Castlecliff, said that on December 14, 1931. he locked up his shop about 9 p.m. When he opened the store at about 7 o’clock the following morning he found that the premises had been broken into, a door and window having been prised open. He assessed the value of the property missing at about £4 3s lOd. He knew both of the accused, Ward and Buttrey, each of whom had been i’ his shop, and both lived at Castlecliff.

Andrew John Fisher, a grocer in business in Tawa Street, Gonville, not residing on the premises, said that he had left the shop locked up on December 18, 1931. The following morning he had found that the back door had been opened by a sharp instrument. On examining the premises he found that a quantity of cigarettes and matches and some 2s lOd in money were missing. The total value of the property stolen amounted to £9 Bs. He did not know either of the accused. Evidence was also given by witness that his premises had been broken into and property stolen from them on March 21, 1932.

Lewis Thomas Goldingham Hickman, manager of the Gonville branch of Chainey’s cycle shop, in Tawa Street; Edward Hastings Moore, a stationer in business in Tawa Street, Gonville; Joseph Berryman, a butcher in Tawa Street, Gonville; Melba Mailman, employed as a clerk during December. 1931, with Cuthbertson and Co.. Tawa Street, Gonville; Stanley Harrison, an employee of the Maypole Stores at Aramoho; William Greaves, the owner of a general store at the corner of Dunean ami Jellicoe Streets, at Wanganui East; William Robert. Gibson Thompson, a storekeeper at Alma Road, Gonville; Thomas Richard Luff, manager of two small lock-up shops at Castlecliff; Duncan Ronald Sharpe, owner of a shop at Heads Road, Castiediff; Frederick Holmes-, owner of a

• irapery store at Gonville; John Devlin Hammond, a grocer in business in In gestre Street; James Lutte Craig, u farmer residing at Castlecliff; Reginald John Babbington, manager of Kernohan’s, Taylorville; Stanley Harrison, manager of the Maypole Stores, Aramoho branch; all gave evidence that their premises had been broken into and that goods had been stolen from them. Detective ’ s Evidence. Detective J. Murray said that he knew that Buttrey had been arrested on July 24. On the following day witnes& had arrested Ward. He had interviewed accused and received 14 statements from them, which he pro duced and read. Both Ward and Buttrey had given every assistance tn the police when they had been arrested. Detective J. Walsh said that, in con sequence of investigations made regarding shop-breaking in ajid around Wanganui, be went to Ohui, on thn Wanganui River, on July 23, acconi panied by Constable Christmas. At 6.28 a.m. on the following morning they had visited Butler’s house, he being a farmer in that district. There they had found Buttrey and Mr. and Mrs. Davey. Buttrey frankly tol.d witness and Constable Christmas that he was responsible for the burglary of Holmes’ shop on the night of July 14. He said that he bad gone from Wanganui to Ohui, taking a spare horse, and after committing the bur glary had taken the goods to Butler’s house. The major portion of the goods taken on that occasion was hidden in .some scrub furthe. up the river. Constable Christmas had accompanied Buttrey to the spot, and returned with four suit cases filled with goods. Continuing his evidence, Detective Walsh stated that Butler had said that he had been with Buttrey on that occasion and had assisted Buttrey to take the goods from Holmes’ shop and had been with him w r hen they had opened Hammond’s store. On the occasion when witness had seen them they had both been wearing some of the stolen clothes. They had used a pickhead which they had taken from the farm; the implement had afterwards been found by witness. Witness had also accompanied Buttrey to Castlecliff, where they had found the slasher in the lupins. Witness produced a statement signed by Buttrey, which indicated that he had been working for Buttler under the 4a scheme. As they had been short of clothes and money they decided to break into a shop and steal some. Butler had not been keen at first but had finally agreed to co-operate. They had decided on Holmes’ store as it was the best situated. They had ridden into town and had broken into these premises. where they had remained £pr some two hours, sorting out the clothes they wanted. Riding home again they had stopped at Hammond’s store. They tied their horses up and while Butler had kept watch Buttrey had broken into the store with a pickhead. As he did so he had knocked something down. After waiting for a while Butler had entered the store, but just as ho did so he saw Mr. Hammond, who had turned on the lights. Both accused had bolted and ridden back to the farm. Witness had known Butler for the past three or four years and said that until the charges arose he had always looked upon him as a very decent man. “Something Fishy.”

Detective Walsh also stated that Davey worked on Butler’s farm, and had been met there when witness had arrived on the farm on July 24. Questioned regarding the clothes he was wearing, Davey had admitted that he had received them and other clothes from Buttrey. When he had been given them he had thought there was something u fishy” about them. He had asked Buttrey where he had got them from, and Buttrey had said that if he asked no questions he would be told no lies. Davey had said that he would not have taken the clothes if he had not been up against it. Davey was a married man with one child. He had been told by Buttrey that Buttrey and Butler were going to look for some cows across the river on the night of July 14. Davey had not seen them until the following morning, when he had been given a parcel containing clothing, by Buttrey. These, he knew, could not. have been obtained honestly by Buttrey. who was a relief worker, like himself. Herbert V. W. Buttrey, placed in the witness box, admitted "that he had pleaded guilty to stealing clothes from Holmes’ store. He had taken them back to Ohui and given some of the clothes to Davey. There was no question of payment for the clothes. With regard to the breaking and entering charges against Davey, witness said that Davey would not have had anything to do with them unless he, witness, had asked Davey to do so. Counsel for Davey: ‘‘Thank you very much for making that statement.” Evidence was also given by Constable E. Christmas. This corroborated Detective Walsh’s evidence regarding the interview with the accused at Ohui. Witness produced a statement signed by Butler. Witness said that he had known Butler for some time and had always considered him to be respectable. It was not suggested that Butler had anything to do with any of the burglaries. Philip Latham Wickham gave evidence of Butler’s good character. Witness said that Butler was a hard worker and that he (witness) had been surprised to hear of his trouble. If accused was released witness would be prepared to employ him. Gordon Mackintosh Hamilton said that he had known Butler to be a straight-forward and honest working man. He was known and respected throughout the district. Accused were committed to the Supreme Qourt for sentence. Bail was granted Davey, Ward and Butler on their own surety of £5OO and two sureties each of £250.