HIGHWAY ROBBERS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 126, 19 May 1908, Page 2

HIGHWAY ROBBERS.

A CHRISTCHURCH SENSATION. CITIZENS ROBBED AND FIIIED UPON. THREE ARRESTS MADE. iVr Pre*s Apsociation. Christchurch, Monday. Iletween twelve o'clock oil Saturday night and one o'clock on Sunday morning, a gang of three men, two of whom were armed with revolvers, rode slowly aiong Fitzgerald Avenue on bicycles and "held up" every pedestrian who appeared likely to possess valuables. They sliirled from.the northern end of the Avenue and sighted their first quarry j after going a little distance. Their vic-

Tim was called upon bo stop, and when lie did so, one of the gang hit him on tin.- head with the butt of his revolve/', wounding him severely and smashing in his hat. lie then threw him down upon the footpath, while another man went through his pockets, taking about .C2 in cash. The three men then hurriedly remounted their bicycles arid proceeded southwards along the Avenue. Tliev next encountered a gentleman

who. when called upon to halt, endeavored to beat off his assailants with his umbrella. They snatched a purse winch the gentleman held in his hand. This contained about £4 in cash. While the robbers were busy with their victim a policeman on beat strolled up. The men ftt once told the captive to keep a quiet tongue in his head or tliey would Mow his head oil and the constable's as well. The constable approached and told the men to shift their bicycles, the machines having been laid down in the road

when the attack was made. Notwithstanding flint he had just been robbed of £4 the threat was sufficient to prevent the victim from making any complaint at the time. The next person to attract the attention of the night birds attempted to! run away, but was stopped by a revolver bullet, which struck the back of his hand. He evidently thought further flight too risky, and he went homeward the poorer by 17, 6d in cash and a gold watch and chain.

In their next attempt at robbery, which occurred at about a -quarter to 0110, the gang wore not so successful. They called upon a young man named Morey to stop, and on making a bolt for Hie gate of his residence one fired at him, the bullet passing through his overcoat and grazing one of his lingers. Further enquiries made to day show that the incident was conducted by a determined gang of thieves, and was not nt all a larrikin affa'r. The police are taking extra precautions to patrol the I town.

'J'li • police arrested three men at Siir !• r «t noon, roughly answering to tl".. ileatiiption of the men concerned in the outrage. All three are suspicious characters, and have been under police surveillance for some days. When arrested all were found armed with revolvers.

THE POLICE'S SMARTNESS. IDENTIFICATION OF THE SUSPECTS Christchureli, Last Night, There is evidence that the right men have been mitml. The three men were detained nt S:tmncr, and early this afternoon steps v."it taken to give the victims of the robberies an opportunity to identify the men. They were not very clear in their recollections of the features and figures of their assailants, owing to tin* excitement under which they hail naturally belabored "at the time of the assault, but it is understood that the identification was sufficiently I complete.

The detention of the three men at Sumner was due to the prompt work of Constable Hampton, the constable! in charge of the Seaside resort. lie had been "keeping an eye" on the three, men, who were bachelorising together. They were absent from their house on Saturday at midnight, anil on Sunday their clothes were hanging out to dry on a clothes line. These two facts lei) the police officer to communicate with the Central Police Station, and detective Ward went to sec the three suspects. It is confidently predicted that the men detained will prove to be the desperate characters wanted.

The three men arrested were living in a small furnished house at the back of Sumner which they had rented and had been occupying for over a week. One of them comes from (he North Island, and has n bad police record, but the others are unknown. They were arrested by Detectives Ward and Con-1 nell and Constable Hampton, and mailel no resistance. On being searched a re-' volver was found upon one of the men and also a gold ring which had been takeji from one of the men held up, and which was advertised for this morning. The accused were taken to the Smnner lock-up, and the police then proceeded to search their house. A search resulted in the discovery of two keys which had been taken from one of their victims and thrown behind a tank, three masks, one revolver, a ring, and quantity of clothing, etc., stolen from a Woolston house last week.

FURTHER CHARGES TO BE LAID,

Christohnrcli, 'Midnight. The names of the men who were arrested at Sumner this afternoon in connection with the highway robbery ea«e» .Tames Keegan, Joseph Evans, and Frank Brennan, alias Bolton. All the particulars regarding them are not vet available, but it is understood that one uf them is from Auckland and another of them from Wellington. The necessary enquiries are being made into the antecedents of each. At the Magistrate's Court to-morrow morning the three will be charged with having committed highway robbery, but the case will not be proceeded with, and a remand will he. asked. I

It in pr ;ii able that further charges will be laid against the in connection with other recent offences in the c 't>'._ It is understood that the greater portion of the property of which the persons who were stuck up on Sunday morning were forcibly deprived has been recovered.

From the manner in which the offences of Sunday morning were committed, especially the ostentatious way in which the assaultants produced ' and flourished their revolvers, it is surmised that they are not practical hands at highway robbery.