Youthful Robber

Hokitika Guardian, 12 June 1922, Page 1

Youthful Robber

AUSTRALIAN AND N.Z. CAIII.K ASSOCIATION. MJCLISOUiiNK, June 10. While weekly wage ■payments amounting to £340 were being arranged by several young women in an office at dunes Knitting Mill, a young man, -armed with a rifle, entered tho office, and presented the weapon at the clerks. Me cried .“Don’t resist!” lie took one hundred pounds and decamped. Several of the employees and towns folk pursued him, whereupon the youth suddenly turned and fired into tho group. No one was hit. Later on, however, the robber issued a manifesto to the residents, in which he described himself as a bushranger, and announced in terms of bravado, that he would not molest women, girls or children, or unarmed men, who did not hinder him in his progress, lie is armed with an automatic i illf, and has a quantity of ammunition. MKLBOUIIXIS, June 11. I.ater details of the Clunes mill robbery show it was committed by a youth named Clifford Hull, aged seventeen; When pursued he fired two shots, one of which passed through the hair ol tin* manager of the mill. The robber then crossing the street, poked the butt of his vide through a shop window and took a watch. When tho proprietor came out to see the cause of the noise Hull pointed the rifle at him and told him not to follow, {some time later he met a carrier a couple of miles from town, to whom he gave the manifesto (already cabled) signed; “1J nil, Bushranger.’ Hull was formerly employed at the mill and was dismissed over having a dispute with another employee. Before committing the robbery he paid I two visits to the mill. One ol the employees. Miss Evans, made a plucky dash to give the alarm, but when she vouched tho police station it was closed with a notice on the door: “llaek at 5.30,” the constable in charge being awav in the country. 'After the robbery Hull raised Ins hat to some girl acquaintances and made a deep how to scores of people who were peeping from the shop doors. . _ Hull said lie wouTd he hiding ill a place of refuge of nil old time buslii anecr. Tho hoy’s mother states he probably lost ins mental balance through reading “Deadwood Dick stories and closolv studying the motion pictures. She sent a verbal message to him through tho police urging him to surrender. Several of his relatives are searching for him.