ARMED ROBBERS.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLIX, Issue 3877, 29 November 1928, Page 3

ARMED ROBBERS.

HOLD UP RACEGOERS. AN AUCKLAND, SENSATION. Auckland, November 27. A sensational hold-up at the revolver point and an exciting effort at pursuit foiled by the firing of two shots, one of which punctured the tire of a pursuing motor-cycle and sidecar, took place on the Great South road near Westfield at 1 o’clock this morning. Messrs. S. Henderson, L. Manson, Eric Manson, E. Holland, and Mrs. Henderson were returning in a mo-tor-ear from the 'Tc Kuiti races when they were stopped by three men, two of whom had revolvers and threatened to shoot. At point of the revolver money, watches, and other valuables* were handed over. Then, still under the cover of revolvers, the three men dashed into their victims’ car and sped away. A chase by motor-cyclists was set up within a minute or two. Percy Fletcher, of 2, Matai road, Ellerslie, and D. S. Wallace, of 2, Railway Street, Newmarket, arrived in a motor-cycle and sidecar. They were on their way from Ngarauwahia to Auckland, and when they got near Westfield they found trees and wood blocking the road. They managed to get through, and a few yards further on reached the three men and the woman who had been robbed.

They immediately started out in pursuit of the robbers. Fletcher and Wallace had gone only three or four hundred yards when they saw two ears in front. One was wrecked, and as they approached the other they saw a man leap on to the running board and the car clashed away at a great pace with the lights switched off. Fletcher and Wallace had given chase for about one hundred yards, 'when the man on the running board fired two shots with a revolver. One punctured the tire of the sidecar, which was thus crippled, and further chase was impossible.

Fletcher and Wallace hastened to a nearby house and sent word through to the police. This was at ten minutes after the hold-up had taken place. Shortly before 2 o’clock a party of detectives arrived on the scene.

Mr. Henderson said that when his car was approaching the bridge near Westfield the lights showed a barricade across the road. He pulled up, and two men rushed out from the side of the road and jumped on the running board. Each had a revolver. The robbers ordered the party to get out of the car, telling the, men to take off their coats and waistcoats and to place them in the car.

“We were powerless to resist,” said Henderson. “I could not do anything, because one man stuck a revolver into my chest.” The men forced the party to walk some distance back, and then jumped , into the ear and drove away.

Mr. Henderson said that the Mansons had a fair amount of money on them, and had the presence of mind to put it under the back seat of the car as soon as the party was held up. The car was eventually found abandoned at Penrose, and the police Selieve that the robbers then got into their own* ear. On the south side where Mr. Henderson’s ear was found there was a wide patch of tacks on the road. In the car were the coats and waistcoats with the pockets open and showing other signs of having been rifled. The money hidden by the two Mansons was recovered intact from under the back seat. Mrs. Henderson says: “We were bowling along at a comfortable speed when I felt the car stop. I saw the head of a masked man in the open window at my husband’s elbow. The man stuck the muzzle of a revolver in my husband’s side. Another masked man placed the barrel of a revolver against Mr. Holland’s head. ‘Take all we have got, but for the Lord’s sake don’t shoot us; we’ve got three kiddies. Don’t shoot,’ I cried. The men ordered us out of the ear, saying they did not want our money. ‘lt is the car we want/ they told us. We were all lined up behind the car, while the robbers kept tlieir revolvers pointed in our direction. They said they would leave the ear about a couple of miles down the road. We did not believe them. The whole party was left in the road watching the disappearing tail lights of the car.” A package containing the personal papers stolen from him by armed robbers was returned to S. Henderson in the following day post. The papers were made into a 2’nrcel and' were posted in the city. The wrapping of the parcel is in the hands of the police. Only one" word was written in the address on the package, the remainder being typed. Up to a late hour, the police had not made any arrest.