“HANDS UP, OR I’LL SHOOT”

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 162, 29 September 1927, Page 14

“HANDS UP, OR I’LL SHOOT”

WANTED MAN HOLDS DETECTIVE AT BAY

THRILLING CHASE BY CAR AND ON FOOT

(Special to THE SUN.) TIMARU, Wednesday. AFTER a sensational race at high speed between a motorcycle and a motor-car, and a stern chase on foot over rough country, Detective R. J. Walker, of Timaru, ran Ja,mes Husband to earth in a lonely gully at the back of Claremont late yesterday afternoon. He wa3 about to arrest his man on a charge of forgery when suddenly Husband produced a 12-bore shot-gun and threatened to shoot. For over an hour the two men faced each other, but eventually Detective Walker persus.ded Husband to hand over the gun, upon which he arrested him.

r TMIE detective w r ent out on a motorcycle to arrest Husband yesterday, and when turning into Claremont Road he was passed by a motorcar driven by Husband, who had been out rabbiting. Detective Walker arrested him and told him to drive into Timaru. Suddenly Husmand made a break, for his home and the detective called on him to stop but Husband accelerated, and soon the car was racing at break neck speed toward Claremont, followed closely by the motor-cycle. For eight miles the race continued and the car gradually drew away. Husband made for his house about a mile ahead of the detective. The car was left in the yard with the engine running. The police officer searched the premises quickly, but there was no sign of Husband. Suddenly he saw his man running up the gully about a quarter of a mile from the liouse. Detective Walker gave chase, and after hard going for 10 minutes, cornered Husband in a clump of gorse bushes. He again called on Husband to stop,

but his call was ignored, and the man sprinted along a gorse fence, getting clear away. Detective Walker was about to return to the house when he saw Husband crouching behind a bank. He approached stealthily, but Husband saw him when he was about five yards away. Stooping suddenly, to. the ground he picked up a shot-gun. “Hands up, or I'll shoot,” he called. The detective told him not to be foolish, but this advice had no effect, and a quick move forward resulted in a threat by Husband to shoot to kill. And so the men faced each other for over an hour, until eventually Husband was talked over by the detective and submitted to arrest. He appeared before Mr. C. R. Orr Walker, S.M., in the Magistrate’s Court this morning, and was charged formally with having forged a cheque for £2l 4s on the Bank of New South Wales at Timaru, and remanded until Friday. On the charge of having presented a loaded firearm, he was sentenced to two months’ imprisonment.