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ALLEN CAPTURED IN PICTURE THEATRE TODAY
SURPRISED BY POICE
Seied by Dets. Ferguson a Gill
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Has Bllet'in Left Lneg ? ove Kee
ADMITS SENDING LETTER TO "THE N#EWS"
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-:..Surprised by detectives while seated im the RegentTlheatre
:George ,Christopher Percival (Chris) Allen (aged 21 years),
; whoowas .wanted on a charge of having shot at Detective Gill
with intent to murder him, was captured in the 'dress circle
:shortly before 2 o'clock this afternoon.
':.:'He was seized by Detectives Ferguson and Gill, and
dfeied no resistance beyond an attempt to wriggle fromi the arms
of-ihis captors. He was unarmed.
:. He admitted having sent'a letter to "The News," which
.-was published yesterday, and has a bullet wound in the lefi: leg
above the. knee.
About: 1.30. Detective Trestrail received
information that Allen was in the Regent
T?heatre.: R'e. went: there, and immediately
telephoned the Detective Office. Det.-8gt.
3IccMahon, Detectives Ferguson and Gill,
and Senior-Detective Grieve, of Mel
bourne, went to the theatre in a police
car.
Det.-Sgt. Mc}Iahon, Detective Trestrail,
and . Senior-Detective Grieve:guarded the
doors of. the theatre while Detectives Fer
guson and Gill went to the dress circle.
Bitfing in'the third row, fromn the middle
aisle near the left-hand side they saw the
man said to be Allen.
The police officers eat down in the row
immediately behind the suspect. . A. close
scru'tint donvinced'them that he. was the
wanted .tkna. .
Suddenly both detectives leaned forward
and seized a'hand each. Allen rose in his
seat add attenipted. to free. himse!f,'but
was powerless.
Althou'gh 'the theatre .was dark 'the
sound of the scuffle attracted attention of
other, persons in the audience.: They rose
in their seats and; a woman screamed.
Allen was' quickly marched, doWnstairs
and placed in the police car. He was
taken to the City Watchhouse and
charged with having shot at Detective
,W. Gill with intent .to murder him.
The news quickly spread that Allen was
captured, and when the police reached'the
vestibule of the theatre a huge crowd
had gathered.
When examined at the watchhouse it
way discovered that Allen had a bullet in
the left leg just above the knee.
the bullet, it is understood, can be felt
underneath the flesh.
Allen admitted to the police that he
had.written the letter which "The News"
received yesterday.
...LOOKS T'HIN AND WORN
Allen looks thin and worn.. He has
Ibst weight in the past fortnight, and the
strain.of evading arrest has evidently told
on him. When caught he was wearing a
navy. lilue suit, black shoes and socks, and
a. grey felt.hat, . He is.easily recognisable
from the published photograph. especially
about the eyes.
Allen is alleged. to have informed the
poslice that immediately after-he was shot
at jby Detective Gill a fortnight ago he
threw away'both ievolvers: which he had
in his possession. Since he has .been
a`t large he. has walked to Murray Bridge
and .back again..
Immediately after Detective Gill shot
at him. he is said to have hidden himself
in tele fieezing cehmber of the building
of.Co!d Storagd Limited; off Rundle street.
After leaving there he hired a taxi on
North terrace,. and was driven- to-a des
tination at present uinknowli.
Since Thursday last Allen is reported to
havebeen in the home of MIr: K. C. Moore,
East terrace, Adelaide. It is a furnished
house, but Vas--unoccupied, as Mr. Moore
was in -Mielbournc. Allen .prepared his
own meals, and the police found at the
house a large quantity :of' vegetables and
tinnmed' food. He was there until yester
day:afternoon, when he-lieard the woman
who had come to clean the.house mnioving
round outside. .He immediately left by
the front 'door.
S-COOKED. OWN MEALS
The Detective. Office was informed, and
yesterday; aifternoon, .when : the house- was
visited; indisputable signs that Allen had
been there were found by the police. Since
then detectives, had, waited cbntinually -in
the house for tlhe return of Allen.
The house.. it . is stated. .was in great
disorder.
Allen had slepti in, the bed; used. the
bathroom, and cooked his meals. in the kit
chen.
Allen has also told the police that he
visited the room which, with others, he
had occupied in Rundle street, and re
moved some. articles he had there. He is
said to have hidden these on the banks of
the Torrens during the. week-end prior to
the day he was shot at by Detective Gill.
When he returned for them they had
cone.
He is said to have told the police that
it !was his intention *to idisguise himself
as a woman and make good his escape.
The capture of Allen" by Det.-Sgt.
McMahon, and Detectives Trestrail,
CHRIS AgLEN who was arrested in. the Regent Theatre today on a charge of i having shot at Detective Gill with intent to murder. Help
CHRIS AgLEN
who was arrested in. the Regent
Theatre today on a charge of i having
shot at Detective Gill with intent to
murder.
Ferguson, arid Gill, is a fitting end
to the: work these four officers have done
on the case during the past fortnight.
At all hours of the day and night they
have been busily engaged exploring every
avenue that might have led to the cap
ture of Allen.
Allen will probably be'examihned by Dr.
V. Ray (police doctor) this afternoon to
ascertain the extent of the injury suffered
by him when a bullet from the revolver
of Detective Gill struck him in the leg.
Allen treated this wound himself, as he
was cautious not to visit a hospital or
doctor for attention. The wound seems
to have healed cleanly.
Mr. Leslie Casey, chief of staff of the
Regent Theatre, said that about 1.40.
o:clock Det.-Sgt. McMahon. arrived at the
theatre.
"What is the trouble?" Mr. Casey asked.
"Allen is in the dress circle;" Det.-Sgt.
McMhhon replied.
Detectives Ferguson and Gill went up
stairs, accompanied by Mr. Casey. The
two detectives sat. down behind two
patrons in the dress circle.
"They grabbed the man nex.t to Allen
at first," said Mr. Casey. "Allen did not
move, but hiid his face with :his left hand.
The detectives soon discovered their mis
take when a torch was flashed in the
face of the wantedman, who was quickly
seized and searched in the seat."
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