BANK ROBBERY IN SOUTH AUSTRALIA.

Dunstan Times, Issue 1255, 19 March 1886, Page 3

BANK ROBBERY IN SOUTH AUSTRALIA.

A faring burglary was committed at the Y ankalilla branch of the Commercial Bank of South Australia on the morning of the 6th inst. (telegraphs the Adelaide correspondent of tho Argus). At about ono o’clock two or three men entered tho bank premises, gagged the manager, Mr Lyall (who is the son of the Bov. James Lyall) and his wife, and took bank "notes to the value of LI 240. There was no gold or , silver on tho premises. The manager was that day to have taken all tho notes to Adelaide. The numbers of the notes me known,and payment has been stopped. Mr Lyall telegraphed as follows to the Chairman of the Board of Direcv tors:—“ The bank was broken into between 1 and 2 on Saturday morn* ing. I awoke finding myself grasped by the throat, was overpowered,

gagged, and bound to I lie bed. Mrs Lyall was also gaggo I and bound. Tho safe was broken into; but the intruders found nothing, us the cash was in a portmanteau ready to take to town this morning. The portmanteau was opened, and LSOOO in Ll notes, and L 740 in L 5 notes were taken. The notes were all of the Commercial Bank. Tho total amount in the portmanteau was L 2287. An entrance was effected through the front room window.” Mr Lyall is a strong young man, about twenty ; four years of age. Mrs Lyall states that she awoke.and found that her husband had been seized by the men.' She-jumped outjof bed, when bull’s-eye-, lantern wgg flashed oh jior*"' She heard a voice say, “Tell me where the keys are, or else we will blow you’re brains out.” She was too frightened to speak or look up, and she believed that she, swooned. She thought that .there were two men, and that one had his face blackened.

Mr Bird, who lives next door, was called into the bank by a Miss Coombe,-and he found Mr and Mi’s Lyall bound hand and foot and gagged. Mr Lyall’s forehead bore the marks ol a blow from a blunt instrument, and he was unconscious for some time.

A Correspondent of the South A ustralian Register says: “On going into the premises 1 found that Mr Bird had partially released Mr Lyall, and that Mrs Lyall was lying on her back on the floor. Her hands were tied together with blind cord passed through once only, but 1 should think it was sufficient to hold any ordinary woman who was in terror. She was moaning very much, and Miss Coombe was attending to her. The latter called me to go inside the bank room, and showed me the way. It had every appearance of being ransacked thoroughly. She then asked me to go with her to the front room, and wo found ou'entering that the window—an ordinary sash window—was thrown up. She said ‘ This is how they must have got in.’ The police are believed to have a clue, but as yet no arrests have been made ”