A STIGKING-UP CASE.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 2373, 14 December 1908, Page 2

A STIGKING-UP CASE.

MASKED GIANT OUTGENERALLED. A PLUCKY CITIZEN. -Mr F. FI. Dowden, the manager of the Nireaha Co-operative Store, who gazed calmly down the barrels of two revolvers iat Nireaha last Monday night, and forced the retreat of a six-foot masked marauder, is a small, unassuming man, with apparently a very large heart. Seen the other day with reference to his rather exciting experience, Mr Dowden said: “It was about halfpast nine o’clock on Monday night. Messrs Drysdale and W. Mason, directors of the Co-operative Company, were engaged in the sitting-room with myself in a business discussion. We were ‘settling up’ for the past month, and there was about £7O in cash and £l5O in cheques dying on the table. Mrs Dowdell, my wife, was also in the room. We heard the outside door opening a couple of times, hut ascribed the noise to our children, who were on ia visit to a neighbor’s house. As the noise seemed to be repeated again, Mrs Dowden said that she would go out and see wliat was the matter. I remarked to her that she had better look out for ghosts, never dreaming of the startling experience which she was to undergo. Mrs Dowden opened the door, and then started back m affright, as fti stailked a masked man carrying in this hands two revolvers. The intruder was of somewhat lengthy dimensions. He appeared to me to be about six feet in height. The mask was cut only to show his eyes, and was apparently a veil which shrouded his face and was tied over the back of his cap. His hands were black mittened. He entered the room very smartly from the kitchen, which is the hack entrance to the house, and, walking tup to me, pointed' both revolvers straight out, and shouted out ‘Hands up.’ I turned and looked at him, when he again shouted ‘Hands up.’ I was not very sure about anything in particular except that I had determined that I would not be robbed in such ia a unblushing manner, and I got straight •up and walked towards the invader. He said, ‘lf you move, you’re a. dead man.’ I brushed his revolvers aside, and he backed. It is very possible that the individual (anticipated an easy hard with no bloodshed. His reception was apparently a surprise to him, iand he evidently was thinking more than twice before firing a shot. As he stepped back, I stepped with him, and I remarked, ‘You can shoot tas much as you like, and you will have to shoot before you .cam get anything here.’ As the man did not shoot the first time, I felt like, taking a risk. I backed him into the kitchen, and he evidently thought that I was going to spring upon him, for he said, ‘Keep off.’ It was then than I recognised the voice, and I answered, ‘lt is all right “Curly.” ’ Flis name was Alwood, but he was known in Hhe district as “Curly.” I, then came back to the sitting-room and requested Mr Mason to see that the would-be robber did not come in, while I rang up the police at Eketahuna, five miles distant. Then, getting my own revolver, I went to ascertain how 1 our man was getting on. My idea then wias to capture him •right out, but he had disappeared, and in ia few minutes’ time we heard a trap being driven towards Eketahuna as hard as the horse could go. The Eketahuna constable made all haste to Nireaha, and curiously

met the tra.p on the way. From the description which I had given, the constable concluded that ho had got hold of the marauder, but . .a- search of his .person .revealed nothing of an incriminating nature, and he was released and drove on to Eketahuna. The constable came on to my place, where he was placed in possession of full particulars, and, going back, arrested Alwood at Eketahuna next morning.” Allwood, who has been arrested for the attempted robbery and remanded to December 16, is a young man about 28 years of age. He has been in the Nireaha district for about two years, and lately was working at Foote’s sawmill. He is understood to bo a married man, but his wife is not living with him. Mr. Dowden has resided for a. good number of years- at Nireha, and hears a very high reputation amongst the settlors.