A HOLD-UP

Hokitika Guardian, 12 April 1928, Page 3

A HOLD-UP

DFN'FDIX .MOTORIST’S KXI'KKJFXCF. 1)1 XEDIX, April ID. Confronted with a Colt revolver fully loaded a Dunedin man had the rat her terrifying experience on Thursday of being told that he was liable to have his brains blown out. The man concerned was Mi- Bevido. who resides in lugs Avenue. St. Clair, while the person handling the firearm was Herbert -Maxlield. the eighta ion-year-old youth, who it will he remembered, had escaped Ifoiii the Borstal institution.

Interviewed this morning on his return from Invercargill Air Bevido gave lull details of his meeting with the desperate youth who, after his escape from the institution, had stolen a Dodge Sedan motor-ear.

Mr I.cvido said be was driving bis car towards the Tialclutha bridge from the Dunedin end when be noticed a car coming at a high speed along the bridge from Balelutha. The Dunedin man swerved bis car clear of the main road to avoid a collision, but the driver of the oncoming vehicle took too wide a turn at the sharp corner and crashed into Mr Levidn’s car. which sustained damage to the extent of about £3O. The front, axle of the Dodge, which was driven by Max-field, was badly bent, while the two mudguards were smashed. Air I.cvido then jumped out of bis car and approached .Alaxtield demanding an explanation of the accident. Alaxfield asked if be wanted bis name, but the other replied that, as the number plates of t!io Dodge were faked the best tiling (o do was for them bulb to go to the Halclutlia police and report the accident. Alaxtield said he would go up the mm! a little way and turn bis car. He would" then come back. He accordingly went up (be mail Hut instead ol coming back went straight up the lull and disappeared from sight.

Mr Lcvido lost no time in ringing the Balelutha police from a neighbouring, farmhouse, telling the officials to come to the scene of the accident as the other driver was a suspicious looking character. Rack on the road Mr Levido hailed a passing car and asked the motorist to drive him after the Dodge, tt was his intention to try to overtake the other car and get some informaton out of Mnxfield. About a mile and a half up the road the two come upon the Dodge beside which A lux field was standing- putting on an overcoat.

' *•[ asked the driver of the car I was in to go a little past Alaxfield so that he could not continue his journey.” said Air Levido. '‘and then f jumped out and hurried towards the Dodge. AFaxlield met me with a Colt revolver fully loaded and with the hammer up in hi> hand, saying he would blow my brains out.

"For about fifty yards T walked backwards with Alaxfield following, telling me all the time how he didn’t care whom he shot, as he was an escaped convict and desperate. Finally I arrived at the other ear with Afaxfield about three yards distant. He was still muttering away about shooting me and I had come to the conclusion that the man was mad. Again he told me that he was an escaped convict, whereupon I suggested to him to get on and escape, as I did not wish to argue with the revolver. Alaxfield then got into his car and drove away.”