ROBBERY UNDER ARMS

Manawatu Herald, Volume L, Issue 3892, 8 January 1929, Page 3

ROBBERY UNDER ARMS

STORY OF SENSATIONAL . HOLD-UP. ACCUSED COMMITTED FOR TRIAL. Auckland, Last Night. Robbery under arm's was alleged against David Mackenzie Ste Wart, aged 27, and Roy Patrick Kitehing, aged 20, who were committed to the Supreme Court for trial after the preliminary hearing of evidence in the Police Court, when the accused were charged on several counts arising out of the sensational armed hold-up at Westfield in 'the early hours of the morning of November 27. Joint charges of having robbed Samuel Henderson, his wife Grace A. Henderson, and George A. Holland, were preferred against accused, while they were also charged with having assaulted Leonard M. Munson and . Robert E. Munson, with intent to rob. A further charge alleged the discharging of a revolver with intent to do grievous bodily harm to Henry B. Fletcher and his brother, Percy and to Douglas S. Wallace. Accused were also jointly charged with obtaining from George R. Walsh, manager of Hutchinson Bros., general merchants, of Newmarket, £5 by means of a valueless cheque in November. Stewart was charged with obtaining £6 11s credit by fraud from Smeeton’s Ltd., general providers, and £l2 14s credit by fraud from Hutchinson Bros. A further charge against Stewart was of obtaining £23 7/6 from Miss Winnie Turner, clerk of the City hotel, with a valueless cheque. Pleas of not guilty to all charges were made by each of the accused.

According to the evidence a party of jockeys was returning to Ellerslie from the Te Kuiti races and early in the morning, their car was held up at the revolver point by men, who robbed them and drove away in the victims’ car. While pursuing the men, Fletcher and Wallace, who had rode up a few minutes later on a motor cycle, were startled by a revolver shot from the car containing two men, whom they had set- out to catch. The ear and cycle were travelling at high speeds, but owing to the puncture which immediately followed* the firing of the gun, the speed of the cycle was reduced and the men in the. 'car got a-Way. In a statement, Stewart said he Was an American, having left his country for Australia about a year ago. At the end of October last, he left Melbourne, accompanied by Kitehing, for Auckland, with £IOO. He boarded at the City hotel for four days and then they both rented a house in Epson. Stewart stated the overdrawing of his bank account caused them to decide upon a •hold-up as a means of getting more money. “So we went out to the Great South road on Sunday and selected a suitable place for a hold-up, he said.

Continuing his statement, he said that armed with two guns and carrying two masks, which they had made out of black stockings, they drove in a car which they hired from a city garage, to Westfield on Monday night. After describing how they put obstructions on the road near the deviation, Stewart said: “We waited there for some time and cars came along, and stopped at the barricade. When the cars stopped at theobstruction, neither of us had the courage to accost the drivers. Finally, however, a ear came along containing five people and we decided we anigh't be able to cope with them. I climbed on one running board and Kitehing got on the other and we made them drive up the road a bit and stop at a stone crusher, where we ordered them out and got them to remove their coats and vests, Tftotcfh were put in the baick of the ear. We then drove away, after telling them that we would leave their car a short distance up thei road.” When they had driven along the road, Stewart continued, he left Henderson’s car and got the hired one, while Kitehing searched the clothing left in the other. Then they saw a motor cyclo coming, whereupon they hurried away. Kitehing told Stewart his revolver went off accidentally when the motor cyclo was approaching and! he did not unban to shoot. A statement made by Kitehing laid the blaime for the hold-up on Stewart. Roth accused pleaded not guilty and were committed to the Supreme Court for- trial.