THE BANK ROBBERY IN MELBOURNE

Dunstan Times, Issue 1293, 10 December 1886, Page 3

THE BANK ROBBERY IN MELBOURNE

The following p artioulara of the bank robbery in Melbourne are given in a telegram in the Hobart •' Mercury' of the 25th ult.iA daring bank robbery was committed at Albert Park this afternoon. The local branch of the National Bank, in Dundas place, was stuck up by three men masked and armed with revolvers, and in spite of the gallant conduct of the offi :er in charge, Mr G. H. Pare, who exchange! several shots with the ruffians, they succeeded in carrying off about LIOO in notes and gold. Happily Mr Dare was not injued by any shots fired at him, though in break* ing a window he cat his hand badly,. Neither of the robbers were hit, but were cantured within a few minutes after the affair, and upon them were found most of the stolen notes. The men arrested were at once conveyed to the South Melbourne police sta'ion, and lodged in separate cells. They are young fellows about 24 and 25, and ate brothers, and nave their names as John and Robert Lewis. They are respectably clad, and are new chums ; and on their way to the police station one of them declared they made the attempt because they were starving. It appears that the attempt was made shortly before 3 o'clock, and there was about LSOO in notes and cash in the bank at the time. ■ 'The revolver firing between Dare and the robbers attracted the notice of r;si lents. of the locality, and a crowd quickly collected, and on the robbers rushing from the Biuk premise-* they were pursued by several civilians. Ooe eventus lly ran into the grounds of St. Leonards House, in Kerford street, the residence of Inspector Acton, in whose safe custody he qnictcly found himself, and LGIi in single notes and a LlO note were found either on him or near the spot where he was ai reared. On being searched a black mask was found on bim ; a loaded revolver was also picked up in the locality. The other prisoner ran away across the railway line, and was captured making off into Albert Patk. On bis t>eing searched a loaded revolver, a black mask, and a L 5 note were tound on him. The capture of this man was pluckily effected by a young engine-driver named Walsh, who chased him on horseback. Mr Dare behaved with commendable pluck and resolution, and sturdily defended the bank's property. He is a young man of 26, and has been several years in the employment of the bank. The following is his detailed statement of the circumstances of the robbery:—''About 2 o'clock a young man cann into tho bank and wanted to know whai rate the bank was giving for fixed deposits at 3, 6. and 12 months. I gave him the information, and asked what occupation he was, and if he was going into business at Albert Park. He said, 'There are two or three of us who are produce merchants and we are going to live either at Albert Faik or Brighton.' He could put L2OO on fixed deposit and LIOO on current account. I said that of course it was a good thing to open a current account where one had fixed deposit. We were conversing away, when he asked me if I was tho only one in the office. 1 said I was and then I fdt a little suspicious of the fellow. However, I told bim that if he did fix a deposit I could allow him an overdraft and added that 1 would like him to come to me about two minutes to three, just before closing time. I then saw some young man walk quickly into the bank, pass the counter, and go up to my private door. He had no mask on hi 3 face at this time, and I suddenly remembered his question as to whether 1 wai the only one in the offiee and when I guessed what he was after I rushed for my revolver, which was at the si le of the counter. The fellow opened my private door to get behind the counter and th°n 1 saw that he had put a black mask on. I presented my revolver at him, and told bim to ' bail up.' He at once presented a revolver a me, and told me to ' bail up' and hand up my cash. I took a sh"t at him and missed, and he fired at me but missed. In the meantirr e one or two others had entered the bank and gone up to the private door. After our first shots the first robber and myself each fired again, but neither hit the other. One of his shots wh : zzed past very close to rae. I then had a scuffle with one of the men, 1 don't know which, and seeing that they meant business, and were two or three to one, 1 got behind tho glass door leading into the private room. I broke the glass and had another shot, but missed again. I then called out ' Police,' and the fellows bolted. 1 did not see them take any notes or money. When the mm made off I at once gave chase to one, but a large crowd had collected, and others pursued the robbers, and one wa4 surrounded and they sent, over word that be threatened to fire on anyone who touched him, so I went to the spot with my loa ed revolver, but when I got there I found he was under arrest."

A telegram on the 28 th insfc. gives the following . additional particulars ; The amount stolen from the National Bank yesterday was about L3OO. all of which has been recovered except L 26 or L 27. It has been stated that a third man was engaged in the affair; but the police are positive, from the evidence to hand, that only the two men arrested were concerned. The two men, John Lewis and Robert Lewis were brought up at the South Melbourne Police Court this morning charged with robbery under arms and shooting with intent to kill. Inspector Acton, in applying for a remand, stated that both prisoners admittelthe offence. The elder prisoner, when askc I it he had any objection to a remand said that be did not shoot at the bank official with anv intent to kill him, i but fired in the air No evidence was taken

beyond a short statement of the inspector’s, and the prisoners were remanded till Wednesday. A fresh development '•counted in connection with the robbhery. The accused were identified by the young man Lewis Thomas, who recently made a statement that ho was fired at in Fi xroy Gardens, as the men who shot at him. They at once admitted that they were the men, but said they only fired in the air to frighten the young fellow