AT THE POINT OF REVOLVERS

NZ Truth, Issue 1201, 6 December 1928, Page 7

AT THE POINT OF REVOLVERS

■+. . . Well-known Jockeys' Lives Threatened By Desperadoes On Lonely Road "DON'T SHOOT; HE JAS THREE KIDDIES" Woman's Appeal To Bandit To Save Her Husband i (From "N.Z. Truth's "Special Auckland Representative) f t

■ DEHIND tlib sensational hold-up ■by maisked. | and armed men/ of a party of well-known 1 Auckland jobkeys on the Great South Road m | the earlyhpurs of the morning lies the story of , | a carefully-planned^ crime 1 conceived m the g min^otd^spwatfemen/ | ' There is also the'story of the heroism of a i woman, .^Qj^eadih^ that the gun-man who I meife&eii; heitfhusjtiand, might shoot him, threw . I herself between .him and the desperado and I bravely ;deW the pistol without 1 a thou^^'^er ci^ii danger. | , :V '^ttCsho^t: ; him; he has three children ; | at hprne^'app^e^jthe brave woman to the I giin-m|in. ;;^;..: : ;.^--' c ',': ;^v

1 '! Lord's sake don't shoot; W e .haye -throe children at home# sheipleadedv • • . . ' /Ignoring Mrs!' -Henderson, the jman wJhtp-had her hu^baijd' covered, ordered him '•'•'to drive on . m se.cond gear. „ • . •; \'Not .too fast," he commanded as the car gathered. speed. . ;.V> ; . -An "increased pressure of the muzzle of the ' revolver against his* ribs suggested to Henderson, that 'discretion wasitho better part of valor.: ■. : -He: accordingly slowed down , and m tsis- way the oar proceeded along ... the r'bad for about a quarter! of a. mile.. While the car was. moving .thus. Mr 3. Henderson pushed a bag towards the bandit, and Henderson -told him he could have the money, but- requested him to cut out the gun "lay. . :- Suddenly the stone- crushing, plant of the ptahuhu Municipal Quarry loomed. iip'On the left. : Wanted the Car "Right. Pull m here," ordered the desperado who was covering the driver. Henderson obeyed, pulling the car up under the shadow of the crusher. "Get out of the car all of you and line up here," was the next order of the bandits. . . ; They had told the unfortunate occupants of the ear -that they did I not want their money— why, seems inexplicable — but that it was the car that they wanted. Henderson by this time, had come to the conclusion that the hold-up men were not criminals,- but " maniacs, "and when the motorists were ordered out of the car and told to lino up, he was under the Impression that the desperadoes intended to shoot them. The travellers got out of the car, and lined up as they had been ordered to do. The second bandit looked into the roar of , the car, and, noticing Leo. Manson asleep, opened tho door and literally drugfied him out. Still half asleep, Manson grumbled and growled, and , noticing: that the man who was rough- handling him spoke with an ' American accent, whether renl or simulated is a matter for conjecture, called him "a big Yankee mug." The situation was by this time becoming desperate. Threatened by two men with revolvers that gleamed m the light of torches, the party had no option' but to obey their every command. . The nien were ordered to remove their coats and waistcoats and throw them into' the back' of the car. . Henderson had about ten pounds m his coat pocket and he endeavored surreptitiously to remove the money and put it into his trousers pocket. But the gun-man was too quick for him. ... . \ .'= . ■ Chase After Gar "Drop that," he ordered, and t.lie gun came forward with a threatening motion.- • •■■■.•- ' '; - Henderson, perforce complied l with the order. . • r . ■ It. was while this was going on that Henderson's wife stepped between' her husband undV the other man -arid 'told hhn not to shoot as there wero three children at home. Henderson told "N.Z. Truth" , , that his wife was" wonderfully -brave. She stepped m front of him ; without any thought of her own -danger, before he could stop her; "But happily the gun-men did not use their deadly weapons. . I ;Having ordered the men m the motoring party to remove their coats and waisteo.'its, the two desperadoes jumped into the car and drove off. Before" they did so the Hendersons shouted out to them, asking Avhat they intended doing with the car. They replied that they would leave it about a mile down- the road, and -with that the bandits 'drove off at high speed, leaving the woman and the jockeys standing m the roadway. . ' ,: - •-. _',•■ Soon afterwards' they heard the roar of a motor-cycle. 'engine, "and a few moments later,, a mptor-cycle, with side-chair attached;' pulled up m response to the signals of the .party. Riding the cycle was lYerey Fletcher, of Matai Road, Auckland, and m the side-cnan- was ■-' Dbugias Wallace, of Newmarket. .Flc-tch'pr's brother, Henry, was riding on the carrier Of the .cycle. The three newcomers could scarcely credit what .they : .'we're told. But 3t was quite apparent to them thatjsomethlny amiss,: and they lost no time m giving', chase. ..... ' '' '. The mou/r^-yde raced alone at high speed to the top p£ Petirose Hill. Here the mqto^ cyclist p.ullcd lip. Ahead he saw tw« . cars, one standing stationary and the' other- moving slowly towards- Auckland. The .headlight

UllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllHl of the motor- cycle evidently -disturbed the. bandits, for Fletcher a;nd his companions saw a man suddenly dash away, from' the stationary car • and mount the runningboard of the moving vehicle.

At the same 'time Fletcher noticed what seemed to- be. pieces of glass on the roadway ahead. Inspection showed that the roadway had been strewn with big tacks, evidently placed their by the bandits to delay, if not actually avoid, pursuit. Fletcher took no notice of the tacks, but drove the bike full speed m pursuit of the car, which was now travelling at a rapid pace. Wallace's account of what happened afterwards makes a thrilling, narrative. . . .■• •• The car ahead carried no lights, nnd the r object of the motor cyclists was to get into a suitable position whore they could see the number plate m the glare of their headlight, "When we were about GO yards behind the racing car a man stepped out on to the running board," said Wallace.

Miiimiimiwiiiwiiiiiiwmmiiimimwimi . "rils face was, not .masked, ! but he Iliad ' a. cap ! pulled down on; his head; Hanging '; on to '.the car with one .ha-nd', he pointed a revolver at us vnth: • the' other. W e .kept right on. ../Then he let fly."

Wallace said they saw the flash as the gun was fired and hear.d the explosion quite clearly. ' He could not say whether the bullet, hit the -wheel of the. side-chair or not,-! but following the shot the tyre burst. Wallace was not sure whether it.was^ a bullet or a tack that had caused the; damage to the tyre, which was so cut about that it was difficult to determine the .cause; The car raced on over. the Penrose; ,-Ro.idme,' travelling at high speed. It and its pursuers were now approaching Lho terminus of the Great South JRoad tramway, and the bandits had the cunning to switch on their lights and cleared from view into the night. Unable, "owing to the ruined tyr.?, to continue the pursuit, the motor cyclistsinafle their way with all possible speed to the home of the Fletchers, where the police were telephoned.

lllil«l!llll|ll!!l!ll!!l!lllllll!!ffl The. heroine of this, amazing midnight 1 drama on' the King's, highway, yraa Mrs. Sam. ,1 Henderson,. wife of the. well-known andpopu- I lar jockey. With her she was return- ,§■ ing . from the . Te Kuiti r^aqes, aiid .in the .car, |. which Sam Henderspn '.was:^drxyingV were lien .1; and Eric Manson Ktoliand, all well-. | known jockeys. ■■■' -/,':■■'' " ">''[;.'• '.S'"j: : ''.'■■'■- .: "••:. "■. '.-m ] A suggestion- was circulating shortly S after the hold-up, that it >vas;a;hoaiK v - This,; | 1 * N.Z. Truth! ' is Ma position^p say, is not the , | view of the police, who regard;the. whole: affair | , very seriously indeed. ,;';■• .'' a] : : - - •■-.., ■'.;-,-... ' ; : 1 •',. They ' are satisfied that ' it: was: a. geiiuiiie •|_ hold-uj), and detectives > are- scounng the. J country for the criminals;. ':.;'-. ! .!;; : " ;| : timiiniiiimHuinnuni»iiiiiiiiiniiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!iiiiiiiiHinTiiiniinHniimiHi»iimiiiiii«iuHiiiiiiiimiiiiniiiimnnin.s

iiimiiiiiiiiiiiiimiiiuiiiiiiiiiminiiimuiiiiiiniiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiniuiiniiiiinimiiiii^ /■'••At the scene of't^e-holdrup, as soon as. the,ino,tpr-cyclists had left themjin pursuit/of- the batuUts," Mr; and Mrs. Hinder soruspale.d the; wall flanking, the jYVJ'estfield' 'Freezing! "Company's prenw .tae.s,Vahd;; ma"de' their "way -to the office, \yhere_ they were, fortunate m finding Ssonieb'ooly- "wHo 'gave ', tKefri the use "of jthe -telephone, • ■'• .: ' ■ ' . . local, police . stations \vere palled up first^ but with little success. ) 'Some difficulty was ' experienced :in "acquainting the constables at the small stations of; details of the affair, but eventually _ a "ca,}l was put through to thevCentrarstUtion m the, city'and^ a fear load- of "detectives was quickly, on ; the scene. ' ' ; rWeiryand bedraggled, Mrs. Henderson, and the jockeys wandered .along I the road; never' expecting to find their ear. ; But - ; the' bandits had been true to their word. ,y J-r ■ •■■ • '. ■: . . < «....'' — -. j: Total Gain, Nil ■'■■ About two miles along- the road they found it standing undamaged and none the- worse for its adventure. ■'. This was the car, that the motor cyciists had. seen standing stationary |vhen they encountered the moving •vehicle. 1 ■■'■■'. i The first thing the hapless party did was to ,'. look under, the seats where Holland and' Eric 'Hanson had deposited ; their money as soon as they realized thut they weie m the hands of desperadoes. . Their ruse had bean highly successful, the money being found intact. • ■ '''.•) The coatsand Waistcoats were where they had. been thrown. Evidently the motor-Cyclists' sudden appearance on the. scenes, hticl ' prevented the bandits from' completing their search of tue garments. A number of papers of a private nature were taken from Henderson's coa-f, but these were returned to him by post next- morning. The sum total gain of the bandits' venture was nil. They gained .nothing m the way of booty, thanks to the panic into which , they weire thrown fay the motor- : cyclists. . Detectives scoured the district for traces of the gun-men, but' failed to find any. They were hampered m their task- by "the fact that .both men had been completely 'masked, 'but a clue on which they set to work was a Morris Cowley car which was reported, missing from Auckland not a great distance from the scene of the hold-up, i Little is hoped for. m the nature of a clue. from the package m wiiich Henderson's papers were sent back to. him through the post. The address was typed, but one word had been crossed out and rewrttteritn ink. . _ : Whether this meagre clue, if such it «an be called, will play' a part- in the Desperate Men detection of the' bandits remains to be seen. '■ / When' "N.Z. Truth" representatives called on Henderson for his story he showed 116 signs of strain. Ho was able to. see the 'humorous side of it, and naturally expressed keen interest m the inon Who had held him up. ' _He motored "Truth's" investigators •to the- scene of the hold-up m his own car, and ,described : m. detail \vhat happened. •■• .'* . ■ , : ' •Asked 'whether, he really felt that the bandits wpiikl iuive shot them ha,d any resistance/ been offered, Henderson made it.lclear what he thought about it.. ' _ ', .■ •;■ . ' - "I am certain they would have shot us. They were desperate men. I -didn't mind being robbed— in fact I told them they could have all I had- — but what I didn't like was the idea. of being taken out and shot m cold blood. .. "^Vhen, they told us to get out of the car and line up I began to get the breeze up. 'I, was convinced by then that we had maniacs to deal with and that, they would probably shoot us Just for the sake of the thing. . "I have heard of such cases. They put-up -one joker I x-oud about ijuat to see liow.'tlie y.grks' -went." Referring £o ills wife, Henderson rerrnuked: "She was aa game as anything. I never thought any woman could have been as brave. She got m front of me and the man who had me covered with the revolver and a^ked him Jibt to shoot me as I had three children at home. She never gave a thought. to herself." 1 .-Henderson paused . for a moment's reflection, and then . his face broke out m a broad grin. \ , "You should have : heard heA talking to those jokers," he. said. "S|h#showQd no fear at ail." .

• '.-•,;• "■' 5 T" . .. ; ■ ■ .With, the -aid ,of >the car,: he gave the ; "Truth"- men ' a '.. praetical demonstration of .how the masked and armed men boarded , it. > ' ,_.«-••••-...- --' " "They jumped out from '■behind ■ that tin shed, ' and one • hopped :on to . the running board., m his right he held a tojfch and m the. o£her a revolver, jvhlch he^pressVd "into" my' ribs ; all -the ■' ■ .'.;' "\ ' '■' '. .' '■. : . .;•••■ •■ ' ■' . "li got- axx', idea'. into. my: head that the iinan.,muß^ have recogh^edtme, beca.use the nrsf,tihie""he flashed tKe torch on my face he pulled it away m a hurry and ,'then flashed it on again, -keeping the light' on : .me for some time. ; •"I :haye' seen ;' these ;movie thrillers/ Henderson .said", with" a shiile,.; "but I never '.thought. I should .ever strike ; the real -thlng." s ' .■ • • " • . ■■.' -•■ ■ •■' He then ,told ; with; humorous relish abbut jKarry, apldflnfch^- . „ . " - :"..'; f*Wa brougrht him up In. the car from Te Kuiti and ; put ihlm down :at •Takanirti;;*., he,: said; ' ... - "HejTvas-ba.rra.cking. us all the. way along T about a puncture, and wheri"-he /left us; he said: 'Welt, I hope something happens to you!'. ' Goidy'was v.cry prophetic -wasn't he? I' spw;' him toVday and he. was' laughing' like' any thing about; it" ' ' Henderson bears <no 111 will . against the' bandits, . ahd' remarked that if- .they were -arrested he would Clik'e. to 'halve, a Chat with : them; "They. [ were • desperate and' up.< against it, I suppose; but a man must.; live/,' .'. ■ . .- ; "''.'"• '".■■■ , following - h er' exciting adventure,

Mrs: ■ He n'de'r.soji bore up well,,) but the strain began' tb , tell .■ on her the next A day, and by nightfall; • ,, she wia,s ; m■' a nervoHis ' state and haii ' .to .retire, tb-',. 'bed, 'where; she remained ,f or a day.;--': V/ ' •"■ Len. Manson de- ; riied 'that, there v was a .great- deal :of money -m the car, as stated, by » some I of the. dailies. .

. "There.; .. would . ; not' • be >;.ariy thing" ■

like ,'£ 100., among, the .whole ' party p -Ihe saidy ;"•"'■ :■'•:.._- ■''.'■' . ;: :-'- -•'.->'■■ ;... Miinson jndde ' it: clear that he had istrongly; objected; to being dragged half asleep, out of the .car. \ •' * .' . "I hate',' 'anybody, pulling me about, even • 'in ' fun," vhe said, '"and I' went crook. on the man. I was half asleep when r was. dragged out of the car, and did not know what was going on .until- then;. I lost nothing, as they never. ; bothered to go through my clothes." Strangely enough, a suggestion has been put abroad that the whole episode' was a joke, it has even been stated m some' quarters that the police af© inclined to. think it was a hoax. ... "N.Z. Truth" is m a position to say that' this is quite incorrect. The police take a very grave view of; the hold-up and are. sparing no effort to run' the bandlta to earth. Detectives are busily engaged on investigations. The .hold-up confirms this paper's previously stated opinion that the gunman has definitely arrived as a unit of the criminal classes of this Dominion. . Such a pest must •hot be permitted to carry on his nefarious practices, otherwise the public highways will become a menace;f eared by motorist and pedestrian ' alike. If the destieradoes who held up the Henderson party manage to evade detection, probably the Great South Road outrage will be the forerunner of others, and some innocent person may