THE CHRISTCHURCH ROBBERS.

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XXXIII, Issue 9149, 19 May 1908, Page 5

THE CHRISTCHURCH ROBBERS.

Per Press Association. Christchurch, May 18. In regard to the holding up outrage on Saturday night further inquiries made to-day show ' that the incident was conducted by a determined gang of thieves, and was not at all a larrakin affair. So far no arrests have been made, but the police are taking extra precautions to patrol the town. The names of the men who were arrested yesterday afternoon in connection with the highway robbery cases are :—James Keegan, Joseph Evans and Frank Brennan I .£( alias Bolton). • ' hY"' The detention of three men at Sumner, was due to the prompt police work of Constable Hampton, the constable in charge at the seaside resort. He had been “ keeping an eye” on the men, who were hachelorising together. They were absent from their house on Saturday at midnight, and on Sunday their clothes were hanging out to dry on the clothes lines. These two facts led the police officer to communicate with the Central Police Station, and Detective Ward went to see the three suspects. It is confidently predicted that the men detained will prove to be the desperate characters “wanted.”

The three men arrested were living in a small house furnished at the back of Sumner, which they had rented, and had been occupying for over a week.

One of them comes from the North Island, and has a bad police record, but the others are unknown. They were arrested by Detectives Ward and Connell and Constable Hampton, and made no resistance. On being searched a revolver was found upon one of the men, and also a gold ring, which had been taken from one of the men held up, and which was advertised for this morning. The accused were taken to the Sumner lock-up, and the police then proceeded to search their house. A search resulted in the discovery of two keys which were taken from one of their victims, and thrown behind a tank, three masks, one revolver, a ring, and a quantity of clothing, etc., stolen from a Woolston house last week.

At the Magistrate’s Court this morning the three will be charged with having committed highway robbery, but the case will not be proceeded with, and a remand will be asked for. It is probable that further charges will be laid against

the men in connection with certain other recent offences in the city. It is understood that the greater portion of the property of which persons who were stuck up on Sunday morning wore recently deprived of, has been recovered.

From the manner in which the offences of Sunday morning were committed, especially the ostentations way in which the assailants producd and flourished their revolvers, it is surmised that they are not practised hands at highway robbery.