SYDNEY HOLD-UP

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 2, Issue 408, 17 December 1932, Page 5

SYDNEY HOLD-UP

(Press Assn.-

DANGEROUS CRIMINAL FOUND GUILTY OF ASSAULT CUNNING, CLEVER, CALLOUS

— By Telegi-n pa—. oyrlght)

by«ney, Dec. 16. Paul Grierson, aged 32 years, was found guilty of the William Street postal hold-up on September 29. He was also found guilty of eausing grievous bodily harm to Alfred Johnson. He was remanded for sentence. Detective Walker described Grierson as one of the most cunning, clever callous and dangerous criminals in the State. On September 29, Mr.' Francis Seckold, postmaster at the William Street Post Office, was carrying a bag containing £530 to a neighbouring office for the payment of old age and invalid pensions when thieves secured the money by what apparently was a carefully arranged coup. Mr. Seckold was accompanied by an assistant, Mr Alfred Johnson, who was armed. When xthey* had gone 100 yards through the crowded thoroughfare, two men dressed in overalls, pretending to be working as eleaners, threw the contents of a bucket of liquid in the two postal officials' faces. Mr. Johnson was knoeked down and disarmed. Then Mr. Seckold was felled to the ground and his bag wa3 seized. The attackers then ran away. Mr. Johnson later became totally blind.