Post by NZBC on Jun 28, 2012 19:56:50 GMT 12
CHASE IN CITY CONSTABLE'S STORY £645 ROBBERY SEQUEL
Arrested last Tuesday night on a charge of stealing £645 8/ in money from the person of Wong Chong, a labourer, Leslie Snow (31), appeared before Messrs. A. Lawrence Gee and A. J. Stratford, J.P.'s, in the Police Court to-day. Detective-Sergeant P. Kearney prosecuted. Mr. M. Robinson appeared for the accused.
In evidence Wong Chong, a Chinese market gardener, of Pukekohe, said that when he left a Chinese cafe in Grey's Avenue about 9 o'clock last Tuesday night to go to a Mr. Toy's shop in Cook Street, he had the sum of £645 8/ in banknotes and silver, tied in a canvas bag which he carried in his overcoat pocket. When about 6ft from Toy's shop a man dashed out from the wall of the shop and knocked him down. Witness said he was knocked into a sitting position on the ground. The man then stole the bag of money from his pocket, grabbed witness, turned him around and pushed him down again.
Witness said he could not recognise the man, but he was taller than witness. He chased the man down Cook Street, up Myers Street and into Queen Street, losing sight of him in Wellesley Street. Wong Chong said he called out that he had been robbed, and when he saw Constable Gilbert he made a complaint to him.
Constable F. Gilbert said he was at the corner of Cook and Myers Streets when he saw a Maori running along Myers Street. Three Chinese, of whom Wong Chong was one, were chasing the Maori. He heard one Chinese calling out, "Stop that man." After making a search of the locality witness entered Federal Street, and as he did so he saw a man approaching him from Victoria Street. When the man was about four chains from witness he hesitated as if he had recognised witness, and then walked to the front door of a house and tried to open it. The door was locked. The man appeared to be anxious to get inside.
Jumped Over Fence
"The man was about the same size and height as the man I had seen running from the three Chinese," added Constable Gilbert. "I decided to question him and called out, 'Just a minute'. As I walked through the gate he bolted from the door, ran along the verandah and jumped over a picket fence to the liext section."
The constable said he pursued the man into Victoria Street, along Albert Street, into Kingston Street and back again to Federal Street, where he caught accused. When asked why he nad run away from witness, accused said, "i will tell you nothing." None of the stolen money was found on accused.
Constable C. V. Steers said that as a result of what he was told by Constable Gilbert he made a search in Federal Street, Albert Street, Victoria Street and Kingston Street. In a vacant section at the corner of Federal and Kingston Streets he found a canvas bag containing £645 8/ tied with a shoelace. The bag was lying on short grass, and no attempt nad been made to hide it. It appeared as if it had been thrown tnere.
The case for the prosecution ended with the evidence of Detective W. Slater.
Accused pleaded not guilty and was committed to the Supreme Court for trial. Bail was renewed. Auckland Star, Volume LXXV, Issue 176, 27 July 1944, Page 6
Arrested last Tuesday night on a charge of stealing £645 8/ in money from the person of Wong Chong, a labourer, Leslie Snow (31), appeared before Messrs. A. Lawrence Gee and A. J. Stratford, J.P.'s, in the Police Court to-day. Detective-Sergeant P. Kearney prosecuted. Mr. M. Robinson appeared for the accused.
In evidence Wong Chong, a Chinese market gardener, of Pukekohe, said that when he left a Chinese cafe in Grey's Avenue about 9 o'clock last Tuesday night to go to a Mr. Toy's shop in Cook Street, he had the sum of £645 8/ in banknotes and silver, tied in a canvas bag which he carried in his overcoat pocket. When about 6ft from Toy's shop a man dashed out from the wall of the shop and knocked him down. Witness said he was knocked into a sitting position on the ground. The man then stole the bag of money from his pocket, grabbed witness, turned him around and pushed him down again.
Witness said he could not recognise the man, but he was taller than witness. He chased the man down Cook Street, up Myers Street and into Queen Street, losing sight of him in Wellesley Street. Wong Chong said he called out that he had been robbed, and when he saw Constable Gilbert he made a complaint to him.
Constable F. Gilbert said he was at the corner of Cook and Myers Streets when he saw a Maori running along Myers Street. Three Chinese, of whom Wong Chong was one, were chasing the Maori. He heard one Chinese calling out, "Stop that man." After making a search of the locality witness entered Federal Street, and as he did so he saw a man approaching him from Victoria Street. When the man was about four chains from witness he hesitated as if he had recognised witness, and then walked to the front door of a house and tried to open it. The door was locked. The man appeared to be anxious to get inside.
Jumped Over Fence
"The man was about the same size and height as the man I had seen running from the three Chinese," added Constable Gilbert. "I decided to question him and called out, 'Just a minute'. As I walked through the gate he bolted from the door, ran along the verandah and jumped over a picket fence to the liext section."
The constable said he pursued the man into Victoria Street, along Albert Street, into Kingston Street and back again to Federal Street, where he caught accused. When asked why he nad run away from witness, accused said, "i will tell you nothing." None of the stolen money was found on accused.
Constable C. V. Steers said that as a result of what he was told by Constable Gilbert he made a search in Federal Street, Albert Street, Victoria Street and Kingston Street. In a vacant section at the corner of Federal and Kingston Streets he found a canvas bag containing £645 8/ tied with a shoelace. The bag was lying on short grass, and no attempt nad been made to hide it. It appeared as if it had been thrown tnere.
The case for the prosecution ended with the evidence of Detective W. Slater.
Accused pleaded not guilty and was committed to the Supreme Court for trial. Bail was renewed. Auckland Star, Volume LXXV, Issue 176, 27 July 1944, Page 6