ATTEMPTED ROBBERY

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 4, Issue 145, 22 August 1941, Page 5

ATTEMPTED ROBBERY

- ADVANTAGE TAKEN IN BLACKOUT

WOMAN'S QUICK ACTION

As in other centres advantage ~ lias been taken in Whakatane of 1 the blackout and, despite the • efforts of the Police* a number -of offences committed which "have escaped reckoning. During v the past few months minor robberies have been committed', and! ' other nuisances caused!, and it being" difficult to prevent such) • occurrences o>r to apprehend the } perpetrators, there is no doubt thait a. very serious view wiill be ' taken if thosie responsible appear before the Court.

The latest effort at an audacious robbery occurred on Friday night last, and, but for the presence of mind and' courage of the intended victim, a considerable sum of money may have fallen ihto the hands of the thief, who escaped in the darki>esL and was cunning enough to his face to prevent identification.

Man Follows,

A local businesswoman, in the employ of a firm, had on closing the doors of the shop removed, the cash 'from the till and placed it in her 'basket. She then commenced to ;walk home the hour being quite late. Nearing the Commercial Hotel she noticed that a man wasi behind her, but did not suspect that she was being deliberately followed.

As she took the side street past the Bank of New Zealand and was in complete darkness the man, covering his face with his coat lapel rushed forward and grasped her handbag. Fortunately she had n firm grip of this and wrenched it from him. Quickly placing her basket on the pavement she struck the ' man, whom she knows to have been Maori,-with her electric torch and •challenged him. Stood Her Ground. The would-be thief stood back m "his surprise and for some time did not move. The woman also stood her ground, although she admits that had she not been so startled she would have called for help. She ordered the man to leave her but he would not do so. apparently seeking another opportunity to grip the handbag. However, when he was reminded that two policemen were not far distant he took to his heels and •escaped.

I(t appears that the man knew the routine of the businesswoman and probably watched her clearing the till through the glass doors of the •shop and then followed her until complete darkness was reached.