ROBBED IN STREET

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 2, Issue 341, 30 September 1932, Page 5

ROBBED IN STREET

(Press. Assn.—

POSTAL OFFiCIALS BLINDED BY LIQUID THROWN IN • FACES ESCAPE THROUGH TRAFFIC

-By Telegraph — Copyright).

Rec. Sept. 29, 7.0 p.m. Sydney, Sept. 29. While Mr. Francis Seckold, postma'Ster at William Street Post Office, was earrying a bag containing £580 to a neighbouring office for payment of old age' ihvalid pensions, robbers secured the money by an apparentiy carefblly5 arranged coup. Mr. Seckold' was accompanied hy an assistarit, Mf. Alfred Johnson, who tvas arnied. Wheh the pair had gbiie 100 yards through the crowded thoroughfnre, two men, dressed in overalls, pretendihg to work as' cleaners, threw the Contents of a bucket of liqUid in the postal men's faces. They Were hlinded apparentiy from fumes of sonie sort. Mr. JohnSon was knocked down and disarmed and Mr. Seckold was felled and his bag seiz&d, and the a:ttackers made off. The man 'earrying the bag collided with a motor Car hnd fell to the ground, hut recovered himself . He lured his pursuers into the hurrying traffic. He then rushed through a shop into a rieafby street and escaped in a cdr which was apparentiy waiting in readiness. A similar robbery took place last ' September, when the same officials were held up by pepper heing thrown ih their faces. Nine hUndfed pouuds Was taken after a shot had been fired at Mr. Seckold. The robbers escaped and were never captured.