BANK HOLD-UP

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 52, Issue 81, 15 January 1932, Page 8

BANK HOLD-UP

the edendale incident, FURTHER. DETAILS OF ATTACK, (Per Press Association). EDENDALE, January 14. Further inquiries regarding the holdup at the Edendale branch of the Bank of New South Wales revealed no fresh developments. Tile manager (Mr Archibald) and his wife are both suffering from shock. The latter received bruises on his forehead and a cut cheek from the effect of the improvised sandbag. The intruders gained their entry through an open window in the sittingroom at the front of the house and walked down a lighted hallway to the kitchen, where Mr Archibald and his wife were reading. Hearing footsteps, the latter got up from her chair. Opening the door, the assailant rusho# and hit her, knocking off her glasses. A second hit. was received on the cheek. Mr Archibald rushed to his wife’s assistance and pushed her past him, enabling "her, with great presence of mind, to rush out the back door and call for help, Mr Archibald was followed by a man armed with a rifle which was loaded.

In the meanwhile, her husband struggled with a second man, who hit •out with a sandbag, which burst as it struck Mr Archibald’s head. Mr Archibald then followed outside to help his wife, who had rushed out, running to the next-door neighbour’s house. Mr Archibald proceeded down -the street and called for further assistance, but returning lie found no trace of the intruders, who had decamped. The incident created a good deal of interest locally, and the general opinion is that though a determined attempt was made, once the alarm was given, the robbers were afraid to carry through their plan to obtain the keys of the bank premises, which are attached to the manager’s house. There is evidence that on the night previous to the hold-up, the blacksmith’s premises a few doors away from the bank were burglariously entered and an attempt was made to set fire to the premises which failed, owing to early detection by a passerby.