ARMED MASKED MEN IN HOSPITAL.

Taranaki Daily News, 30 August 1919, Page 10

ARMED MASKED MEN IN HOSPITAL.

FIGHT WITH CASHIER.. DAYLIGHT ESCAPE. A remarkably daring crime was committed by armed and masked robbers at Guy's Hospital, London. Mr W. J. Curry, an accountant at the hospital, was attacked in his room by two men who presented revolvers at him. Mr Curry pluckily closed with them, and after a severe struggle, during which Mr Curry was badly cut about the head with a fire shovel, the men escaped, although they were by several people. Their object apparently was to force open a safe in Mr Ciirrv's office.

Guy's Hospital is in St. Thomas' Street, near London Bridge Station, and the main entrance is approached through a quadrangle, and on each side are the administrative and other offices and residences.

About 5.30 in the afternoon Mr Curry was sitting alone in his room in cut-counting-house on the ground floor when iwo masked men entered and presented revolvers at him. It was a situation that demanded the greatest pluck and resolution. Mr Curry showed both. He is about 40 years of age and has served in the Army. He jumped up from liw seat and' promptly tackled both men, who at once pockoted their revolvers rather than fire and raise an alarm. The men had armed 1 themselves with other weapons—one had a steel fire snovel and the other a bar of some kind. They struck at Mr Curry with terrific force, but he continued to fight them despite the -odds against him. Indeed, he succeeded in tearing the masks from their faces and hustling them out of the room into the hall. Here (he «»- failants hit him several times on the head. GIRL CLERK'S HELP.

Mr Cnrry's cries for help wore heard by a girl clerk who was working in a room upstairs, and she ran to his assistance. The assailants, worsted in their adventure, then bolted into the quadrangle, ran through the entrance pates, turned to the right in St. Thomas' Street, and disappeared.

Half a minute after the men had vanished ample help was forthcoming from doctors, students, nurses, and the staff generally. Mr Curry, who had lost a good deal of blood, was taken to the surgery and afterwards: removed to one of the wards. He has many wounds on the head, but happily none ia serious.

Tfio police were immediately summoned, and within ten. minutes Detec-tive-Sergeants Ball, Cruickshank, and 'fay arrived at . the hospital. Two masks were found in Mr Curry's room, also a broken steel shovel and a lony ropo with a noose.

There is little doubt that the assailants intended to rob the safe in the room. The shovel Was taken from the fireplace in the council chamber upstairs, and it is thought, that the men concealed themselves there. At 5 o'clock the entrance d<.or is closed by a boy. and the theory is- that the men imagined that when the door was closed no one remained in that part of the building.

THE KING'S SYMPATHY. The King sent the following telegram to Sir Edwin Cooper Porry, the superintendent of the hospital:—"The ICing lins letirnt with much concern of the dastardly attack made on Mr Curry, and trusts that he will make a, quick recovery and that his assailants, whom he faced so courageously, will be brought to justice."