BANK ROBBERY

Hokitika Guardian, 25 March 1933, Page 6

BANK ROBBERY

CHASE AND CAPTURE

SHOT FIRED BY TELLER

J A gun shot rang out from one of Briss bane’s principal banks— a man rushed . out of the mam vestibule carrying a i bundle of bank notes—someone called 3 out “Stop that man”—a comstable on 3 point duty gave chase, and the man , Jed , him mto a back street, and into a lane—. [ then a .sensational capture. Those wcr e tile elements of a- , s ensational “grab- ' and-run” bank robbery at mid-day recently. It all happened within five ■ minutes, and the man was captured by a. tiuriy constable as he ran up the stairs from th e basement of a block of buildings into the corridor giving access to tlie street. Mr C. F. Evans, the chief .teller at the bank, was engaged sorting banknotes at th e “cage” when a young mrm who had been’’ frequently seen in the bank premises, asked for silver in place of a 10s note. Mr Evans gave him the silver. and the main then passed a shilling over the counte r and asked that it be changed into pennies. To get the pennies, Mr Evans turned his back for 'an i instant, and it is alleged that the young J man jumped on to the ;i counter and grabbed a bundle of notes from the far ■side of the wide counter.

lt ' SHOT FIRED AT MAN’S LEGS. Turning'quickly, Mr Evans 6 aw th( j' mian making toward the door, and, ,seiz- " Ing his revolver, fired a shot at the man’s feet, fearing to aim highe r on q account of the risk to other people. The bullet struck the floor, and was det fleeted against i-the. wall, being smashed 1 to -little, pieces. 1 Constable H. Falkenhagen, who was - on point duty at the time, heard what - he had first thought to be a motor-car r backfiring,' but as the traffic was light at I that moment he looked around in time to see a man running .down Street in the direction of Elizabeth Street. Detectives E. Hi r d and W. F. Stone, who had just passed the door of th e bank a,5 th e shot was fired, joined in the chase on foot, whil e Consftfolo Falkenhagen, who had jumped on to a moving motor-truck endeavoured to get in front of the fugitive. I The man raced down George Street J and into a Janeway at the rear of the Treasury Hotel.' Detective' 'jSfoW-f flowed h>m' into th e laneway, whi'l e Detective Hird went round the corhe r into Elizabeth Street. The fugitive wont, through th e hotel and cam e out into Elizabeth Street ahead of the detective, and. ran into a laneway at the side of , th e Telegraph newspaper building and into the basement.

CAUGHT ON THE STAIRS. Constable Falkenhagen, who had been: hindered by the dense slow-moving traffic in Elizabeth Street, jumped from "th e thick as snfelbd the ‘laneway. Though jthe fugitive had a lead of 15 or 20 yards on the constable, he was beginning to tire, and the constable was' almost within reach of -hini as he went rsrtn llia. Knsp-rnpnf/ ■» *

I , When halfway up the stairs from the basement the mail is alleged to have thrown a bundle over'the balustrade into the basement.' This' did not gtop the constable, who followed him op the stairs and caught him'by'tlie'leg as he was about t° step from the stop's in'-o the vestibule, and threw him to the floor. The constable, fearing that the man might have a revolver in his possession, held him down until the arrival of Detectives ‘Stone and Hird a few .seconds later.

,A search of the basement was made by-the detectives, and £BO in banknotes was found, consisting 0 f 50 £1 Ir.ot.ej3 and 60 10s notes. A check of th e teller’s money was taken, and it was found that £BO in notes was missing. 'A