BURGLAR FIRED AT

Chronicle (Levin), 11 June 1949, Page 3

BURGLAR FIRED AT

Dive Through Glass Door ToEscape i ' NELSON-,; June 10. Two snots from a .22 ^ calibre rifle were fired last evening at a maskjed man who entered the Marina cale- , teria, in Trafalgar Street, through a side window and opened the cash ' register. To • escape the intruder crashed through a plate glass door leading into Trafalgar Street and was chased into Bridge Street. He eluded his pursuers in an alleyway leading into the Y.M.C.A. One Shot was fired in the shop and another in Bridge Street. * On the previous two niglits the cafeteria had been entered by a burglar and last night a watcli was kept by the pfoprietor (Mr. W. S. Howson) and a mexuber of his stalf (Mr. C. Bushell). They were stilL maldng preparations for an all-night vigil when' they heard a window in the back of the building being opened and an intruder climbing through. Mr. Howson was unarmed, but Mr. Bushell carried a .22 rifle. The intruder opened the cash register and tlien proceeded into the restaurant. When the watchers turned a torch on the man and warned him that they had hira covered with a gun, the intruder rau towards the mam entrance door, diving through the glass into tlie street. As he did s'o Mr. Bushell flred a shot which lodged in the door. The man got to his feet and raced away with Messrs.- Howson and Bushell in pursuit. When the • intruder turned the corner and rau along Bridge Street Mr. Bushell ran on to the intersection and fired another shot at him, but missed. The man then disappeared down the alleyway. , Arrived Too Soon "We were just getting organised when we heard the back window open/' said Mr. Howson to-day." "We wero not in a good position, being at the skle of the dining roorn between the servcry and the milk bar. We- erept behind wliat ' cover was ' available — chairs, tables and a small pillar — and waited. We heard pots being moved on the bench inside the window and then the window was shut again. The intruder walked to the cash register on the servery counter and opened it, striking a match as he searehed through it. When he ■ f ound nothing there he closed it again and eame through into the restaurant on the opposite side from where we were standing. "He was making his way towards the cash register in front of the shop when I flashed a torch on him. The person I saw had a mask over' the lower part of his face and appeared to be cariying a revolver in his hand." Mr. Howson said he called Out: "Don't move. I've got you covered, If you move I'll riddle you with lead." Thje man, who was able to get a certain amount of cover from the tables and chairsjj, made a dash for the front door and went head -first through the main plate -glasS paiiel as Mr. Bushell flred a shot at him from about 20 yards away. The bullet lodged in the heavy woodwork in the lower part of the left hand door as the man dived through, the right hand door, landing on liis hands and knees on the footpath. There was a terrific erash and glass flew right into the roadway. Mr. Howson opened the door and gave cliase with Mr. Bushell some dislanee behind him. The intruder, who is not a big man, lost ground to Mr. Howson as he ran towards Bridge Street, where he turned left and con-c tinued along the footpath. Mr. Bushell did not follow the other two round the corner, but ran out into the middle of Bridge Street and fired another shot at their qnarry. Where that shot lodged is not known. The thief turned down the alleyway and disappeared. Mr. Howson said he saw the man quite clearly while he was lield in the light of the torch and could tell wliat he was wearing and what his complexion was like. His features Were well hidden liy the mask which was of two light eolours. He realised later that the intruder carried a tomahawk and not a gun.