Please wait. Contacting image service... loading

Article text

BOLGART ROBBERY.
ACCUSED IN COURT.
Alleged Statements to Police.
A dramatic story of a burglary at a
store at Bolgart early on the morning
of March 11 was told in the Perth Police
Court yesterday before Mr. H. D. Mose
ley, P.M. William Leonard Bicknell (29)
was charged with having broken and
entered the shop of James Francis Laur
ance, at Bolgart, and stolen £42/10/,
being at the time armed with a revolver.
He was also charged with having un
lawfully assumed control of a motor
car at Wagin on March 5 or 6, and with
having broken and entered John Alex
ander Meldrum's shop at Hatanning on
March 4 or 5 and stolen two rifles, two
shot guns, a revolver, 20 packets of cart
ridges, a quantity of tobacco and
cigarettes, a watch and eight
electric torches, to the total value of
£58. William Goolab Mudgedeen (27)
was charged with having broken and
entered Laurance's store at Bolgart on
March 11 and stolen £42/10/. The two
accused were committed for trial and re
served their defence.
James Francis Laurance said that he
was wakened at 4.15 an. on March 10
by Mrs. Coutts. He" aroused Alan Boyle,
an employee who was living at the house,
and they went to the store. John Coutts
and a man named Hegarty were also at
the premises. He described how he
entered the store and switched on the
lights. Mudgedeen was captured but
another man ran away. The safe was
open and in Mudgedeen's hip pocket he
found £18/10/ in notes and £24 in
cheques which had been taken from the
safe. About £2 In silver was also miss
ing
Detective Hagan said that, with De
tective-Sergeant Blight, he interviewed
Mudgedeen at the Toodyay lock-up on
March 13. He alleged that in a state
ment Mudgedeen said that he met Bick
nell at an hotel in Maylands on the
night of March 10. Bicknell suggested
going to Dolgart and stealing money
from the store. The pair went to Vic
toria Park, where Bicknell stole a motor
car, and, after stealing petrol and oil
from a garage, they drove to Bolgart.
Bicknell pushed a back window of the
store open and the pair climbed into
the store. The safe door was unlocked
and Bicknell handed Mudgedeen the
notes and cheques, retaining the silver.
Suddenly a man appeared at the back
window and said, "Stop or we will shoot."
Mudgedeen stopped but as soon as the
front door was opened Bicknell dashed
away.
Shots Exchanged.
John Coutts, who lived next door to
the store, said that he was awakened
by noises in the store. He told his wife
to warn Laurance and then waited at
the back door until the front door was
opened. After questioning Mudgedeen,
he took a shot gun from Boyle and
chased the man who had run away. He
saw a car parked near the railway sta
tion and as he drew near a man got up,
ran a few yards, turned and fired a re
volver. "The bullet went past my right
ear." said Coutts, "so I raised my gun
and fired into the air. I called on the
man to stop else I would shoot but he
disappeared. I then drove the car back
to the store. It was dark and I could
not tell whether the man was Bicknell
or not."
Evidence regarding Bicknell's arrest
was given by Detective Hagan. He said
that, with Detective Richardson, he saw
Bicknell walking along Waugh-street,
North Perth. on the afternoon' of March
13. Bicknell sat on the running board
of a motor car and the tro detectives
were able to get up to him before he saw
them. When arrested, Bicknell struggled
violently and tried to place his left hand
in his right-hand inside pocket. In the
pocket the witness found a fully-loaded
revolver.
The story was continued by Detective
Sergeant Blight, who said that while he
was being driven to the lock-up in a
police car Bicknell said, "You were lucky
I did not see you coming. I would have
done the same to you as I tried to do to
that - at Bolgart. That bullet must
have gone close to his head. Mudgedeen
had no guts or be would have got away
with me." When searched, the witness
continued, Bicknel had a torch, ;three
cartridges and 15/2 in silver and coppers
in his pockets. .Bicknell admitted that,
apart from 4/, all the money had come
from the store at Bolgart. "On March 14,"
said Detective-Sergeant Blight, "Bicknell
told me that he had had the revolver
found In his possession with him at Bol
gart. He said that he had bought it
for 15/. He also said that about three
miles from Bolgart, near the railway line,
he had thrown away about 100 detona
tort"
Doctos's Car Stoles..
Dr. 'Ibthill, of Wagin, said that on
the night of March 6 his car was stolen
from his garage.
Police Constable Taylor, of Midland
Junction, said that he found the car at
the Intersection of padbury-terrace and
Sampson-avenue, Midland Junction, on
March 7. 'There were two cartridges on
the floor of the car.
Detective-Sergeant Penrose said that
on a bonnet lock device pn the car he
found a thumb print; which he photo
graphed. On March 14 he took an im
pression of Dicknell's finger prints and
the.right thumb print was identical with
that found on the bonnet lock.
When questioned by Detective Rich
ardson, said Detective Hagan, who was
present at the time, Dlaknell saId, '1
suppose you've got the car on me. The
trouble is 'that there is omnething else
behind it." Bucknell admitted that he
took the car from Wagin but said that
It could not be his fingerprint as he
tore gloves all the time he was in the
car.
Giving evidence regarding the alleged
breaking and entering at Katanning.
John Alenander Meltirum said that when
he visited his shop about 9 anm. oni
March 5 he found that the safe had been
opened and about £2/19/ in silver was
missing. He identified the revolver which
tied been found on Bucknell as one that
had been stolen from his store.
Detective-Sergeant Blight described a
conversation which he had with Bicknell
on March 14. Blcknell asked him what
"jobs" he was going to be charged with
and was told. He said, "You are not in
tha race to get the stuff back from
Katanning." He admitted that the re
volver found In his possession had come
from Hatanning and that be had sold
the rifles and guns from Meldrum's store
to men who were going north. The to
bacco and other articles had also been
$