ROBBERS FOILED

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume 77, 16 October 1942, Page 2

ROBBERS FOILED

RAILWAY PAY-ROLL motor car held up Auckland, This Day. A daring attempt at daylight robbery < took place at Otahuhu yesterday morn- ( ing when two young men tried to steal , the fortnightly pay-roll which was ■ being carried by car to the railway workshops. The incident took place near the workshops and several thousand pounds were at stake. During the holdup one of the passengers of the Rail- ( way Department’s car was struck sev- ; oral times with a spanner and it is ; stated that one of the robbers pro- , sented a rifle at the occupants of the vehicle. At about 10.15 a.m. seven employees ing from the Bank of New Zealand in Otahuhu where they had collected the pay money. At the corner of Fuvonu road and the road leading to the workshops their vehicle was going at a very slow speed when another car was seen standing at the corner. A young man who was standing on the road near by jumped on to 'the running board of the workshops car and asked the driver to go along Favona road. ATTACK WITH SPANNER Thinking that there had been an accident and that assistance was needed the driver complied with the request, the young man still remaining on the running board. A short distance along Favona road, when the car stopped, he abruptly asked the workshops driver for the key of the car. This was refused, and the workshops driver immediately withdrew the key from its socket and put it in his pocket. The would-be robber’s next action was to lift the bonnet of the car and immobilise the vehicle by pulling some wires off the spark plugs. He then moved round to the passengers’ side, produced a heavy spanner from his pocket and pulled the door open. Holding the spanner ready as a weapon he endeavoured to pull out one of the bags of money. T is attempt was frustrated by cut of the workshops employees who maintained a tight grip on thp bag. Endeavouring to break the man’s grip the young bandit struck him heavily several times on the forearm with the spanner. The other vehicle was standing by all the while and it is stated that the driver of it held a pea rifle which was pointed toward the railway employees. MADE OFF AT HIGH SPEED

At this stage some lorries came ai mg Favona road and the young man took fright. Fie ran bacK to the other vehicle which made off at high speed toward Onehunga. Several cars with constables and detectives set out in sea.. h of the young Both the young me.-» were wearing dark glasses and the one who lemaired in the car wore a scarf over the lower part of his face. His companion, who was stated to be about 20 years of age and fairly tall, was wearing an overcoat. Their vehicle was blue-grey in colour and carried number-plates which had been missed from i vehicle ■ n the city the previous night. No trace of the men had been found at a late hour last night.—P.A.