DAYLIGHT ROBBERY.

Taihape Daily Times, 28 May 1919, Page 7

DAYLIGHT ROBBERY.

FOOTPADS IN MELBOURNE.

ATTACK I'POX CURATOR

THIEVES MAKE OFF WITH £IOO. In broad daylight, and within thirty yards of his office at the Zoological Gardens at Royal Park. Melbourne, Mr Dudley Le Souef, the curator, was attacked by two fcotpads, blindfolded with a hossian bag, stunned with a leaden "life preserver," and robbed of nearly £IOO, wb ; ch was to be paid in wages to the sraff. Planned with care, and executed with amazing audacity, the purpose of his assailants was effected within thirty seconds, and the two men escaped oy dashing through the grounds of the curator's dwelling. As has been the case in several instances of a similar character in Melbourne within the past two years, the robbers seem to have made themselves thoroughly conversant with the movements on pay day of the man singled out for attack. There was certainly no hesitation displayed, and the time of Mr Le Souef's return from the bank with the money was judged with remarkable accuracy. For some considerable time it has been his practice to drive to the Bank of Victoria in Collins Street, in a waggonette to draw the wages of the staff employed at the gardens. He was in the habit of leaving his home at a lixed time every Friday. The waggonette, in which were Mr Le Souef and Mr Arthur Parsons, a returned soldier, who is employed at the gardens as groom, left the bank shortly after eleven o 'clock, and a few minutes before twelve drew up outside .(the gate. Mr Le Souef alighted from the vehicle and walked towards the gate, while Mr Parsons drove the waggonette on to the main entrance. The curator was carrying £S3 in two canvas bags in an inside breast pocket, and in addition held in his hand a Gladstone bag. Parsens drove on, and 300 yards from the gate passed a cart being driven by M<r Henry Mcker, one of the park rangers. When Meaker opened the gate which Mr Le Souef had passed through not five minutes previously, he noticed a hessian bag with attached cords lying on the path, also the ransacked Gladstone bg, and close by a vciry formidable "life preserver" had been hurriedly thrown down. In addition, there were blood stains on the ground, and every indication of a sharp struggle

having taken place. Almost at Hie .same moment a woman clerk employed in the office went to the (low to as-ortain if Mr L.> Souei had returned, and was in time to see him lurching along a path skirting a tenniscourt. with blood streaming from wounds in his head and staining his clothes. Lying on a couch, with great patches of antiseptic plaster covering several gashes in his head, Mr Le Houef related what had happened when he pushed open the gate. He had no sooner taken two steps inside the fence than a young man sprang upon him. and enveloped his head in a kind of hossian hood, which was drawn, tight about his neck with .cords. Simultaneously the leaden "life preserver", wielded with murderous force by the other man. descended on his head, and, as he reeled under the combined onslaught. Mr Le Souef says he was dealt three more violent blows about the head, and was badly stunned. The Gladstone bag was snatched from his hand, but on being found to contain only business papers, was flung down by one of the assailants with a oath. With great rapidity, the injured man's pockets were rifled. and the cash bags located. A strong cord was then passed round his arms by :onc of the men, and, unable to cry for help owing to the suffocating bag about his mouth, he was rendered helpless. "That'll do,- we've cleared him out." hissed one of the attackers in a half-whisper, and the two men, who, from the fleeting glimpse lie had of them, Mr Le Souef believes are little more than youths, clambered through the fence and escaped.