Levin Escapees May Have Been Responsible For Marton incidents

Wanganui Chronicle, 20 July 1948, Page 4

Levin Escapees May Have Been Responsible For Marton incidents

(0.C.) Marton, July 19. After the members’ stand at the Marton racecourse had been broken into at the week-end, a Ford prelect motor-car belonging to Rfev. 1 J - Gamelen, was subsequently missed from a garage in Rira Street on Sunday night. It is believed that two escapees from the Levin Training Farm were connected with both i.ieidtnts. Yesterday a car was founa bogged in French Street, Marton junction, and it was ascertained that it had been taken from Palmerston North. The youths who escaped from Levin are connected with this conversion also. A quantity of dress materials was found in the car. The damaged perpetrated at the Marton Jockey Club members’ stand was discovered this morning. Three windows were broken, and a water heater and inter-communication telephones damaged. Ink had been thrown about in the secretary’s office, and there were indications that the intruders attempted to light a fire in the loft of the stand. A resident of Princess Street, Mr. C. H. Taylor, discovered last evening that his house had been entered, but it is believed only some biscuits were stolen. The Marton police also received a report that intruders had been on the property of Mr. J. J. Sinclair, Main Street, Marton Junction, where a length was cut from a garden hose and removed. The youths are John Gillies and Reginald Skelton, a half-caste, both aged 14.