PAYROLL ROBBERY

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20096, 16 November 1939, Page 7

PAYROLL ROBBERY

ASSAULT ON CLERK

TWO MEN FOR SENTENCE

ARREST AFTER ESCAPE

WELLINGTON AFFRAY

(Per Press Association.) WELLINGTON, this day

Robbery with violence was admitted in the Magistrate's Court yesterday by Robert Milton, aged 39, a labourer and Anthony Bradford, aged 25, a heating engineer who, on the afternoon of November 2, stole £207 from a pay clerk in the new M.L.C. Building, Lambton Quay, were apprehended and had the money taken from them and then escaped again. Tlie charge was that they robbed W. E. Parr of money with violence. They were committed to the Supreme Court for sentence. Parr, in evidence, said that liis firm, W. M. Angus Limited, were contractors for the building and both the accused were employed by a subcontractor. He knew them both well by sight. He always took the pay for his firm's men to the building on Thursday afternoon and did so on November 2. Knocked Almost Senseless Witness detailed how he was set upon in a dim light after lie had entered the building, knocked nearly unconscious and robbed, and how he asked two men working outside to go after the rr.cn which they did. They brought them back to the building and recovered the bag with the money still in it. The men made their escape before they could be handed over to the police.

Replying to a question by counsel, he said lie was attacked only with fists.

Medical evidence was given that Parr was the victim of a severe assault.

Evidence was also given of the pursuit and bringing back of the men and their subsequent escape from a shed in which they were placed. Detective G. Hogan related how, with Detective Urquhart, they searched the Limited express when it was about to leave for Auckland that evening and arrested the accused. Detective Hogan said that when located, the accused, in his opinion, were norfectlv sober.

In a statement to Detective Ritchie, Bradford said they had been drinking and he was very drunk at the time.