MELBOURNE CRIMES

Hokitika Guardian, 18 October 1927, Page 4

MELBOURNE CRIMES

MOTOR. CAR. BANDITS * SYDNEY, Oct. G. Melbourne is novel’, free Irom during crimes for any length oi .time, and after a period of comparative quiet a recrudescence occurred a lew days ago. In two or three days there . was a. whole crop of offences by daring thieves and others, tho most exciting being the theft in broad daylight of £-200 which a girl bookkeeper was taking from a hank to pay ibe wages of her firm’s employees. The girl was employed by a firm cl hosiery manufacturers in Richmond. She was about to enter her employers factory when one of three men who had sprung from a motor car uitturkcd her. She made valiant efforts to retain hold of the small attache ease containing the money, hut her assailant. a powerfully built man, swung her off her feet and flung her to the ground. The hag was thus torn from her grasp. At this juncture a 1.1-vears-olcl railway porter, Harry Pritchett, who was not more than yards away when the girl screamed, rushed up and caught hold of the man with the carse. One of the other two men grasped him round the body and threw him into the gutter at the side o‘f the road. Meanwhile the third man had re-entered the motor car and grasping the steering wheel, he started the ear slowly down the street, and as soon as his two accomplices had freed themselves from the g" 1 and hoy they swung aboard it. The driver of the ear accelerated, hut then more excitement came. A commercial traveller in his car had noticed the end of the struggle and. quickly sizing up the trouble, set of! in pursuit of the bandits eai . I 0 drew alongside it and attempted to force it into the gutter. The thieves avoided this by turning into a street, hut the traveller followed and again drew alongside the lugtivcs’ car. .Several times, at great personal risk, he drove close to the other vehicle, and eventually headed il off so effectively that-the thieve, were h reed a collision wit’ll a lire alarm pillar. The hit tor was snapped off al the base. Immediately the thieves left the car and (lisa p| seared. R was afterwards found that the ear had been stolen from a clergyman. Detective's were quickly at work, and next day three men were arrested and charged with the robbery.

darim; ji:\VKi theft. 'flic si'.me nil'll, while mi sii'cmlo was full of propie. a .small man i..ins!ds way tliro’ij'h tin* crowd and timij'; a stone into a window i I whirls I rays rf L'ems and jow’ellery were displayed Tlii usliiia ids has; I tlirmiji.li the hreiik. the man surf bed a tray of valimMo diamond idnos. He then ; 'templed to make his way tin o’.iuh Ike <rowd, .presumably to join a oil'federate wssitin.r in a motor ear MandiiiK opposite tke Several ;> >: ! • raised the alarm an I ike ei'nwd (pdtkiv rinsed in no the man iarryiiui t " tray, whirls. in ' oxcilciimiil. was upset. A man piaspel ike ih.ef and. mid him until detestier s arrived. !• is' rings. valued at L-Oi't were rev -n-oaed from the lh> »i' rep J 11> 1' >!C' 11 til tilt i'' owner, but t’ o reuminder. wort’s ( •••dd not l a ioiissil. as ui'- , -i i'rv ! a I I -ess pkkad sin i'.v pernio in Ihe sire:ule "urn the t.r>s\ was upset AVlsen the arrested man was I halve I. he is aliened to hav said: ‘'ll v.:.< gm.l or luxury ‘ me. M