GUARD ATTACKED

Waikato Times, Volume 125, Issue 20912, 18 September 1939, Page 12

GUARD ATTACKED

PATROL AT RAIL TUNNEL MASKED MAN ELUDES POLICE (From a Correspondent.) SYDNEY, September 5 A railwayman guarding one end of the tunnel at Ardglen, about five miles from Murrurundi, was attacked and severely beaten by a masked man about 10 o’clock tonight. The police from Murrurundi and surrounding districts are for the attacker. The norm-west mail was stopped on arrival at the tunnel at 10.22 p.m. and was held up for 22 minutes while the engine was detached and driven through the tunnel to make sure that there had been no interference. Since the international crisis began last week, a railway guard has been stationed at each end of the tunnel. The guard at the Ardglen end was disturbed at 8 o’clock tonight when stones began falling near him from the top of the tunnel. Several narrowly missed him and he believed that someone was trying to hit him. He informed the Murrurundi police, and a sergeant and a constable went out to investigate. They searched the Ardglen end, and then climbed the hill and made a short tour of the Murrurundi end and the surrounding district.

The guard said that while the police were away a man, whose face was masked, appeared from the side of the tunnel and began to attack him. The guard said that the attacker w*as a powerful man. The guard was severely beaten about the head and was prostrate when the police found him.