TWO MEN CHARGED

Hokitika Guardian, 20 July 1932, Page 6

TWO MEN CHARGED

ASSAULT AND ROBBERrY

(Per Press Association— Copyright.)

WELLINGTON, July 20.With Hiis face still swollen and cuts andlinuses under the left eye and chin smothered in ointment, Ah Lai, a Chinaman, who was held up in. his shop in Pine St. last Friday night, gave a gnaphid..description of the affair from thd witness box to-day, when ■ Albert Clifton, 24, a labotn{^|, ; and Humphreys, [23, [ -jHkSIN charged. withjj robbery of - £4, at the same tifnb using violence. Ah Lai '-said he was letting a woman out of the back,, gate, when two men entered and' pointed revolvers at him. They carried him into, the lCtchen, and tied his hands behind his back. While they were, doing this he commenced to call out -and -one hit him on the head with a“'' J revojver. They punched him about and then put him on the ground, a necktie round his mouth"alld- 'fap 6 and made him turn towards the ';’wa|l. When’ he tried to see who they;' we're one of them punched him in the face again. . One stood guard over ihim while the other searched the premises. He heard png of them talking to a woman outside, and when they left he could .still hear them talking to the woman. Be could not' distinguish’ the features oflthe men. because they had black 'masks on. Couri3©l and the police came to grips in ...regard to whether-; the girl tne lOhmaman had let out .was concerned in thp affair, counsel saying if they thought sh'e was a decoy tlriy : should . charge her. fT- • ? '

/I'He polic e said if-: they obtained, evidence that ®he wa-s : connected with- the offence they should charge her, 'The Chinaman said h e wanted to let hereout the front doqr, but she asked to be let out at the back.

The- police put in statements of, admission ,by both accused, but . both pleaded not guilty and were committed for trial.