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SUNDAY MORNING BURGLARY.

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SUNDAY MORNING BURGLARY. SPRING GARDENS BREWERY ENTERED. NEARLY EIOO STOLEN. A FORTUNATE COINCIDENCE. TWO ALERT CONSTABLES. CAUGHT IN THE ACT. By a fortunate coincidence two police constables- Richards and Williams—were proceeding down Barn Street at 4.30 on Sunday morning. Dawn was only just beginning to break along the Eastern sky, and no one, save the officers of the law, was astir. Reaching the bottom of the street the policemen's attention was attracted by the sound of rolling bottles, followed by the rattling of blinds. Suspect- ing that something was amiss—these officers were thoroughly alert—they proceeded to Mr Harold James's brewery premises, and with the aid of a lamp they could clearly discern a man inside. The upper part of the window was open-it had been left open as Miss Bennett, who was in charge of the pre- mises, had failed to close it on the previous night. In a very few moments the man whom the police- men had seen inside was seeking an exit through I the window. Hailing the constables with the re- assuring words It is all right," he at once proceeded to put on his boots. Two pairs of boots were now observed under the window sill, and a man named Bennett, who was the first to make his appearance, was followed by his colleague, a tall middle-aged man who gave the name of West. The two men having been hand-cuffed together, were left in charge of P.C. Williams, while P.C. Richards went inside to make further investigation. One of his first acts was to arouse Miss Bennett, who, sleeping soundly in another part of the premises, was entirely uncon- scious of the undesirable presence of the two burglars. The constable soon found that the men had entered what they must have regarded as a veritable El Dorado. In front of the bar fire-place there glittered a pile of golden sovereigns, silver and copper. Near by were three bags containing more gold and several cheques. Altogether the constable accounted for X91 ls 3d. On the bar counter were two bottles of whisky ready to be taken away. It was obvious that the men bad been tempted by the whisky, and but for this delay-because it was the noise of the bottles that attracted the attention of the policemen-the; burglars would probably have been able to make off with their valuable loot and thus have been free to continue their plunder elsewhere. But as it happened, their designs were frustrated. Near the bottles of whisky were two chisels, which, apparently had been used to force open the drawer containing the money and the cheques. Prisoners were found to have in their possession a board daubed over with glue or some other adhesive substance, and a piece of flint, while Miss Bennett picked up from the sill of the drawing room window a tube of seccotine, and the window itself bore marks of having been cut by means of a sharp instrument. It was also ascer- tained that the shutters inside the bar window had been cut sufficiently to allow a man's hand to be pushed through. On the way to the police station, the prisoner West asked for a drink, and when reminded that he had only just come from the midst of it," the prisoner remarked Oh, but you came just too soon for us." The prisoners had been in this district for some two months. They made their headquarters at Mrs Power's lodging bouse in Quay Street. John Bennett is a fisherman bailing from Hull, while Thomas West is a fireman, and is a native of Waterford. It is significant that Weat was in the Spring Gardens brewery on Wednesday or Thursday evening, and probably made a mental note of many things on that occasion. The premises, as is well-known, are situated off the main thorough- fare, and their position and situation are not altogether unfavourable to those with evil designs. POLICE COURT PROCEEDINGS. On Monday, two rough looking men, who gave i their names as John Bennett and Thomas West were brought before Aldermen T. James (in the chair), Messrs Isaiah Reynolds, C. C. Saies, James Rees, T. M. Phillips, T. R. Dawkins, and H. T. Rule Owen, on a charge of burglariously entering the house of Mr Harold T. James and feloniously stealing cheques of the value of £ 50 lis 7d, and X40 18s lid in moneys. POLICE CONSTABLE'S EVIDENCE. P.C. Richards said that about 4.30 on Sunday morning in company with P.C. Williams be was proceeding down Barn Street, and when opposite Spring Gardens, he heard a noise coming from Mr James's brewery. It seemed as if bottles were being rolled about in the bar, and then be heard the blinds in the bar window rattling. Witness went to the bar window, got on the sill, and found the upper part of the window open. With the aid of a lamp he could see a man inside, and called to P.C. Williams, who was close to the door, as witness was going inside. A man, who gave the name of John Bennett, then came to the window, remarked It's all right." Bennett came out through the window, and witness noticed that he bad bis boots off. Two pairs of boots bad been left outside nearly underneath the window, and Bennett now having got outside, proceeded to put one pair on his feet. Witness having put Bennett in the charge of P.C. Williams, the other prisoner, Thomas West, came to the window and after he got outside he put on the other pair of boots. The two men, handcuffed together, were left in P.C. Williams's charge, and witness entered the house and conducted a search. In the bar he found a pile of money on the floor in front of the fire place. The money was made up of gold, silver and copper, and alongside it was a leather bag containing cheques for JE19 15s Od, 12s 3d, X2 8s 9d, £8 9s 3d, £ 2 2s 6d, £5 8s lOd, together with £17 in gold. Witness said he also found a red canvas ba,g containing two cheques for £4 and JS.2 15s Od, with 10s in gold, and 7s 6d in silver, and in another canvas bag was a cheque for X5 and XS in gold. The pile of loose money on the floor contained Xi in gold, £13 58 6d in silver, copper 8s 8d, a total of t:t)l is 3d. Miss Bennett having by this time been aroused, witness took the prisoners to the police station. He added that before leaving the bar he found two chisels on the counter, which he now produced. On searching the prisoners at the police station, witness found 4s H}d on Bennett, a candle, and a piece of board, and on West Is, three knives, and sundries. The board produced was adhering to Bennett's coat pocket, and in his possession was also a piece of flint. Later he re-searched Bennett, and found 8s 5d in copper in his hip pocket. Proceeding back to the brewery with P.S. Parry, witness examined the window. He saw the shutters inside the window had been cut sufficiently to allow a man's hand to be pushed through. The shutter is fastened by means of an iron bar, and witness also noticed that a drawer had been broken into, and on the counter were two pint bottles of whisky ready to be taken away. On Sunday afternoon be again examined the house, and noticed a square mark on I the outside of the drawing room window. The drawing room was on the same level as the bar, and there was some sticking substance on the glass of the window opposite the catch. It was evident that an attempt had been made to cut the glass with some sharp instrument. A tube containing seccotine was handed to the witness by Miss Bennett. On being charged prisoners made no answer. Prisoners had no questions to ask. Replying to the chairman, the witness said that prisoners were known to him by sight. Witness added that when he took prisoners to the police station, West asked for a drink of water, and he replied, What, and you have just come from the midst of it." To this Bennett said, "But you came too soon for us." P.C. Williams said he was able to corroborate the last witness except as to what took place inside the premises and the amount of money. The prisoners, he added, were quite sober. WHAT MISS BENNETT SAW. Miss Emma Hallett Bennett said she lived at Spring Gardens, and was in charge of the Brewery for Mr James, On Saturday night she closed the bar a little after 11 o'clock. The upper half of the bar window had stuck, and she failed to close it. The blind inside was drawn, and the shutters closed. She was quite sure that she fastenened the catch securing the bar across the shutters. The bottles of whisky produced were not left on the counter, but were on the shelves. The two chisels (produced) were not in the bar when she left it, and the broken drawer was intact. She heard nothing of the burglary until the police aroused her. Witness added that the shutteras all right on Saturday night. On the drawing room window she noticed a mark, and on the sill outside she found a tube of eeccotine. She bad seen West on a previous occasion in the bar-it was on Wednesday or on Thursday. Prisoners had no questions to Itsk the witness. Anyone could see that money was kept in the drawer. BREWERY MANAGER'S EVIDENCE. Mr Harry Rogers, 5, Dark Street, and manager to Mr Harold James, said the broken drawer produced was one of six. He saw the drawer being locked on Saturday evening about 7.30 by Mr James. It con- tained a basin with silver, a leather back with gold and cheques, and two canvas bags also containing gold and cheques. There should have been in the two bags containing money and cheques, £84c lis lid. He did not know the contents of the third bag. Neither of the prisoners bad any questions to ask. Prisoners were then charged with the burglary, and with feloniously stealing. They had nothing to say. COMMITTED TO THE ASSIZES. Prisoners were committed to take their trial at the next Assizes for the town and county of Haverford- west.

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