DUNSTAN.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume III, Issue 156, 8 January 1864, Page 1 (Supplement)

DUNSTAN.

DARING HIGHWAY ROBBERY. STICKING UP A BANK MANAGER.— NEARLY £IOOO STOLEN. Duxstax, 21th November. Ox Saturday morning last, the 12th hist., about 8 o’clock, Mr. G-. S. Skinner, the manager of this branch of the Bank of New Zealand, left this township on his way to the Nevis, as lie had done on the 'preceding Saturday, for the purpose of purchasing gold on behalf of his bank. Soon after reaching the top of the hill, and about a mile and a half from the river, where the roadway is very much jammed in by large projecting rocks, two men, presenting a gun and the other a pistol, rushed out from behind a rock as Mr. Skinner was passing. His horse, which was a spirited animal, suddenly sided ami threw his rider to tho ground The men then seized Mr. Skinner before he could recover himself, and, binding him hand and foot, dragged him behind another rook about 50 yards oir the road. They (hen gagged him by forcing into his mouth, (keeping it in its place by a belt), one of those calico bills which it is usual for bankers to leave at stores who purchase gold for them, several of which Mr. Skinner bad in bis possession. Leaving him lying on the ground, incapable of making bis escape or calling for assistance, they fetched up tho horse, and removing the saddle and bridle, searched it, but not finding anything in it, deposited that also behind a rock ; they then drove tho horse away and turned their attention to their victim. Taking from his person his leather courier’s bag, they speedily cut it open and appropriated the contents, over £BOO in notes and £5 in silver; they then took their

departure. The robbers, one of them a tall man, standing fully six feet high, the other much shorter, were disguised by tying black handkerchiefs round their faces just below their eyes, besides each had made himself a jumper out of a piece of blue blanket, by cutting a transverse slit and thrusting their heads through them, wore them something after the fashion of a poncho, only that for convenience sake the ends were tied round their waists. Besides taking the money they also took Mr. Skinner’s revolver and watch, but the latter they returned, after some parleying, as he represented it was the gift of a very near relation. With considerable difficulty he fortunately managed to wriggle his hands out of the bonds which held them, and speedily set himself free, returning at once to the Bunslan, where lie instantly gave information at the camp of what had occurred. From the time of liis first crossing the river till that of his return scarcely more than an hour and a half had elapsed. The police quickly in pursuit ; not more than ten minutes having elapsed before constables were despatched in the direction of the scene of the robbery, and to every crossing place both up and down the river. About an hour- after- the information of the robbery had been received, constable Kelly arrested two men answering tho description given by Mr. Skinner, who had just crossed the river at Mutton Tow'n, by rowing themselves over in the boat belonging to Fraser’s Station. No sooner had they made the boat fast by attaching the iine to some Sax growing on the bank than they were secured. Detective Cassells and Sergeant Turnbull, upon reaching the spot were the outrage was perpetrated, soon found the saddle and bridle as well as tho horse which was quietly grazing. They then discovered planted behind a rock, a double gun, Mr. Skinner’s revolver, (both were loaded) tho leathern courier’s bag, two pieces of blue blanket, which the robbers had evidently worn, besides the black handkerchiefs and some piece*

.of cord, bat no trace of the money could be found. From tho spot where the robbery took plaee, a commanding view of the entire town could be obtained, so that the villians must have watched their victim from the moment he first left the Main-street —that they had done so there is little doubt,[as the remains of two cigars, about half smoked, were found alongside a rock were they had sat. There is scarcely the least doubt but that the two men arrested are the perpetrators of the robbery ; one of them being a well known bad character. Of the other nothing is known. From the direction in which they came, together with the time it would take to reach the place where they were arrested, as well as other very suspicious circumstances, leaves scarcely a doubt but that they are the men. Upon being searched, there was found upon them thirty (one pound) notes of the Bank of New Zealand, and nearly the same sura in silver as lost by Mr. Skinner, some of which, from marks upon it can be recognized, and the number of two-shilling pieces and half-crowns exactly tallies with those lost in the amount. In the course of the evening the persons were arrayed in tho blankets and handkerchiefs found by the police where the robbery occurred, when one of them was distinctly recognized by Mr. Skinner, not only by his dress and general appearance, but by his voice also. They will be examined this day before the Resident Magistrate. The dead body of a man was brought into the Manuherikia township on Saturday evening, from the summit of tho “ Old Man.” It is that of a miner, who in company with five others left Potters Gully, Campbell’s Diggings, on Sunday afternoon last, for the Gorge, was overtaken in a severe snow storm which came on suddenly, and three of the number, it is feared, have perished. The five men were in company till they reached the rocks, not 200 yards from the Shanty which some enterprising individuals have lately erected on the mountain. Two of them started to go on ahead of the others, and have not since been heard of; the other three remained behind and clearing away a place in the snow under a rock tried to make them comfortable as possible for the night. The cold was so intense that its effects soon became visible on the deceased ; one of his mates then got up and walked about the whole night to keep himself warm, while the other supported the unfortunate man, who died in his armsbefore morning. A search is now being made for the other bodies.

That the ranges to the westward of the Dunstan should have been visited with such a storm, at so unseasonable a time of year, is most surprising. The morning of Sunday, the 6th inst., was fine as could be desired, but such is the fickleness of the climate in the neighborhood of the Garrick Ranges that you cannot calculate upon the weather for two hours together. These ranges are so situate that the south easterly winds, or what is known in this hemisphere as a “ southerly buster,” reaches them in all its fury, and with scarcely any notice. It is hoped that the other two men have not met with an untimely end, but as no tidings of them whatever can be obtained, it is almost a certainty that they have met with the same fate as their companion. There was a heavy flood in the Molyneux on Saturday morning, but during that night and Sunday the river has fallen considerably. A new rush took place on Saturday to a locality about fifteen miles north west from the Nevis, somewhere in the direction of Gentle Annie. During that day and tho noon of yesterday almost one half of the people of the Nevis had taken their departure for the scene of the new discovery. There was new excitement when the news reached the Dunstan at a late hour last night. Numbers are now leaving at the time of my writing, 6 a.m., Monday. —Otago Witness, Dec. 19.