PEPPER BANDITS

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 1, Issue 113, 5 January 1932, Page 6

PEPPER BANDITS

MEN BLSNDED RGBBERS BRUTALLY ASSAULT TWO PEDESTRIANS IN STREET HAUL OF £108. SYDNEY, Dec. 29. There was a sensational recurrence of "pepper in the eyes" holdups when bandits at Newtown and Marrickville made getaways after seizing money from their vietims. The Newtown robbery was comimtted on one of the busiest corners of the district in broad daylight. The victim was momentarily blinded.and a cash bag containing £80 was wrenched from him. The cases closely follow that at William-street, Darlinghurst, three weeks ago when £900 was stolen. Detectives are considering the theory that a "pepper" gang is operating, and are taking* swift steps to stop the epidemic. The Newtown hold-up occurred at Lhe corner of Simmons Street and Znmore Road, Enmore, shortly after 10 a.m. The victim was Mr. Gregory Szarka, sec'retary of the Enmore Pic;.ure Theatre, who was robbed of £80 — the night's talcings — whieh he was :aking to the bank. The thicves, after momentarily bk'r.ding Mr. Szarka, punched and 'rickfed him to the roadway, and then wrenched from his wrist a leather ?ash bag*, whieh had been. fastened with a chain. They then dashed acrcss the roacl :;o a motor car, one of them stamping on a tiny girl in his desperate rush. A. police patrol car almost immediatjly gave chase. Mr. Szarka, who is 52 years of age, vos considerably shaken. He was treated by Dr. Hardwicke ">t his surgery nearby, the doctor iniecting cocaine to relieve the pain of the cayenne pepper in his eyes. "I was standing on the corner, vaiting • to cross the road through he beavy traffic, when two men •usbed up to me," he said. "One grabbed n\e by the arm, while the other threw the contents from a small /hite bag into my face. "Put the Boofc In" "The pain was awful. I raised my hands to my face, and one of the men ■unched me on the face and the >tber kicked me on the shins, knockiig me down. "One man put the boot into me for *11 he was worth, while the others lugged at the chained bag on my ,vr'?t. "I had to let it go. I could not stand him kicking me any longer. Fled to Car "They immediately ran to the car, •md that's the last I saw of them." The hold-up had been well planned. fbe car moved off just as the bandits swung on to the running-board and within 10 seconds of the attack h'-v were fiying for freedom. Jack Harrison, who. saw the whole of the affair from a balcony opposite. gave the police patrol the number of .he green car in whieh the men escaped. The pursuers have a good descripbion of the men, and are confident of making early arrests. Lured Away While the police at Newtown were -till investigating the sensational attaek on Mr. Szarka, the news of the ■econd hold-up was received at Mar••ickville police station. S'm'lar methods had been adopted. and the victim, Mr. Bede Franeis Doherty, 30, a well-known insurance "vp.t, of Rockfort Street, Ersk'lne•.dllf1. who had been robbed of £28. had been blinded by a shower of pepper. Mr. Dohorty was walking down the dreet when he was hailed by a young

man, who had been standing in the loorway of a cottage. "Are you the ■atate agcnt?" the man asked, Doherty rerdied. "Yes." The man then said, "Come on lown the back. I have a cobber here who wants to do business with you. He wants to take out a policy." Screamed In Agony Unsuspecting, Doherty followed che stranger dov/n the passage until •'.lmoat at the rear of the house. Then. suddenly, be board a noise •>nd turned to receive the full force )f a sbower of pepper. The powder filled his eyes and moutli, and, screaming in agony, he -taggered back against the wall. Someone struck him and, blind and almost helpless, he fought back desnerately, but one of the men had reached into his inside coat pocket and taken his wallet, containing over 1*28 in notes. Yellecl Foi' Help. Mr. Dohevty savs that when the bbnding pepper struck lvim in tho face he thought at first it was sand. "But then the pain became terrific, nd I was staggering about and yelling for help. "Someone pushed me violently ancl a button was torn from my waistccat, as hands were groping in my inside pocket," Mr. Doherty stated. "I felt my wallet coming out, and I tried to fight back. Then I>heard the men running away. "I yellod aga'n, and the next nonient I heard voices, and someone was leading me along the passage." Mr. James Honman, who was attracted. from his hcme next door by the yells, took Doherty into his home, T.nd bathed his infiamed eyes. Doherty was unable to see for 15 mlnutes. He was taken to Mariickrille Hospital.