THE TAURANGA ROBBERY.

Manawatu Herald, Volume III, Issue 73, 13 May 1881, Page 3

THE TAURANGA ROBBERY.

The attempted Bank robbery at Tauranga turns out to have been a very serious affair. Barfield, the man who was caught, has been committed for trial on two charges. Ellis, one of the witnesses, and who was also the informer against the prisoner, said : —In April the prisoner called me into his saloon, and asked me. "How is business?" I said things were very quiet He said he had not taken sixpence- all that day, and that if things did not change he would have to do something, as he was not clearing his rent. He said he had sent £5 to Nathan, in Auckland, and he had closed on this money, and stopped his credit till he should send more. There was only one way, he said, he could see of clearing himself. I asked him what it was, and he replied, "It is going to the National Bank." He added, " There is a capital chance there, as there was only one party on the bank premises." I asked him who that was, and he said "It is Mr Morris." He said he had been weighing the matter over in his mind for the last fortnight. I then enquired what he intended doing, and he replied he had "a pistol, and cpnjd; easily, catch iMe iMorris any night when going to the club or coming from it.*' ' fie' said if he could not get any body to assist him he would go singlehanded. He informed me of Mr Morris' movements when he left the bank and when he returned. He said he could easily knock binf down, take the keys from him/ and get into the bank. He said he knew Mr Morris generally left about 6 o'clock at night. He said nothing at that time about cutting MjpjrMpms' throat, nor about setting the town on fire. I said I would think over the matter. I made up my mind to put Mr Morris on his guard, though I never at any time had the smallest {intention of taking part in the burglary. I subsequently called Mr Purdie, and infomed him of the matter; On Sunday night the prisoner told me, that if he gave it up that nignt he would go into the' bank on the : following Sunday with some deeds and when Mr Morris was perusing the deeds he wotdd knock him on the head. W^ went round on Tuesday night, and he was knocking about some time before he could make np his mind ip go in. This was between 10 and'itf-' treloek.' I proposed to give it np^.birtflle insisted on having a try. That was at the corner of the Bank. We walked across Jhe road to the swamp, as some parties came by playing a concertina. The prisoner then started to blacken his face/ arid having finished that, he said,; "Come on, Ellis; how do I look?" f hesitated, and proposed td toss np half-a-crown whaler 1 should go , or stopi He said it wouid be .dangerous, to strike a light. I blackened' my face then, and we went over to the bank. I carried the pistol wJ;I wMecliiOisaTfe bloodshed. I feared if hfC«*rr^edithA would most likely have ■hot some one. The prisoner-knocked at the bank door. He had a parcel of pepper anil the bludgeon in his hands. The floor to be Mr Morris, and a voice said, "'Come in " whereupon the prisoner rushed in and X «bftrad away home. ■ . . ;

intencfence of Mr Taylor, who was raauy t years a vigneron in 'Germany. Water is ■ supplied by two large tanks, conducted by hosea to the vines, and they certainly look remarkably healthy and strong, some of the bunches being very large indeed. Iv o mnection with the vinery Mr Taylor has alio five acres in in orchard, filled with the best sorts of apple, peach, pear, and plum trees, together with a new sort of blackben y, which appears to thrive well