AN ALLEGED BURGLARY.

Wanganui Herald, Volume XXXXVI, Issue 13333, 23 March 1911, Page 3

AN ALLEGED BURGLARY.

A REMARKABLE STORY. (Per United Press Association.) AUCKLAND, March 22. A remarkable story of an alleged burglary, the arrest of |he supposed housebreaker, and the subsequent retraction ol the charge, "was told to Mr C. Cuttsn, S.M., at the Police Court to-day. On the night of the 15th inst., a woman named Mrs Siudley called a police officer to her house and declared that she had seen a man enter ,by a window. Tinpoliceman and the lady entered the house and she declared that a number'of household articles and a piece of jewellery weremissing. The officer then made a search, but could find no one in the house. He ■went outside with Mrs Snidley, and a man was seen close by. He pointed out by Mrs Sindloy as being the intruder, and the constable invited him into tin house, where he searched him. In sovc ral pockets' ho found several article identified by the woman as having beer stolen.' The man’s name was "VVm.. Tozer.. and he was taken into custody. Subsequently he was brought before the Court charged with breaking and entering tin house and stealing goods to the value over .£5.

Sub-inspector Hendry received a remarkable letter from Mrs . Sindley, irwhich she said: “I wish to let you knot 1 , that the statement Umade ahoiit'the m<yr. Inzer breaking and entering and sted ing certain articles was untrue, and ■■ have no intention to go to Court and swear any lies, as/at the time I made the remarks I did not know what I was say ing. I thought it only fair for ajl concerned to let yon know. I, am also notifying Tozer’s solicitor of the above facts.’ When the case was called on to-day Sub-Inspector Hendry said it appeared that someone had attempted to tampe) with the ends of justice. The woman Sind ley, before calling the police,.took a hoj to’ her house, and, peering through the fence, the lad saw. the foot of a man disappearing through the window. Then when the accused Was arrested, she plainly accused the man in the_ presence o the- officer. The hoy .gave evidence, and a jeweller’s traveller deposed to selling Mrs Sindley a brooch which was found or. the accused. When Mrs Sindley was called she appeared very excited. At first she emphatically refused to take the oath. “I’ll speak "the truth without the Bible,’ she said. She was at, last persuaded by the Magistrate, .and reluctantly responded “I do’’ to the exhortation.

Sub-Inspector Hendry: Yon charged this man with stealing’ your property?— Yes,-but it is not true. And you accused him of getting through the window?— Yes. 'but that was a false statement.

The Sub-Inspector: Very well. Tell the Court your story.. The witness related the following story: —“I met this man, whom I know and hate, in Upper Queen Street on that night, and whenever I see him lie insults me and 1 hammer him.. He ran away and came' up to my house, and taunted me later in the evening, and I said I’d swear he broke into" my house, and that’s what I did.” At times during her evidence witness became wildly excited and, alternately addressing accused and her husband, who was standing at the hack of the Court she expressed the hope that she would he able to J murder them both. The charge was altered to one of entering a dweliinghouse and stealing/ instead of breaking and entering, on account of .insufficient evidence. Accused denied the offence. Mr C-utten said he thought nothing would be gained by sending the case to a jury, and he dismissed: the case ‘