“MAN WHO ACHIEVED FAME.”

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 56, Issue 236, 18 July 1936, Page 5

“MAN WHO ACHIEVED FAME.”

SPECIAL CONSTABLE’S ACTION. GRAPPLING with assailant. LONDON, July 17. Although several accounts of the incident at Hyde Park Corner credit a woman with dispossessing McMahon of his revolver, and others say that a policeman knocked! it from his hand, the “Daily Mail” prints a personal account of the “man who achieved fame in a few seconds” by knocking the revolver out of the hand of the alleged assailant. He is Anthony Gordon Dick, a commercial traveller for a firm of french polishers. He is strongly built, and was formerly a naval stoker. Mr Dick said: “I was on duty as a special constable near the Wellington Arch. I was standing with my back to the crowd. As- the King rode toward us the crowd was cheering loudly and swayed and billowed behind me. I felt like cheering myself. I looked half to the left, then half to the right.

“There, quite near me, was a man with a gleaming revolver in his hand. I lunged forward, striking blindly at the weapon. It sailed through the air.

“I closed with the man and got him round the neck and held him as tight as I could. He shrieked: ‘ Good heavens. Don’t strangle me.’

“I was joined by other officers, hut not before I had a sharp tussle. Look I (and Dick pulled up his trousers and showed a bruised shin, and also indicated that his right arm was lacerated by sharp finger nails) “Well, that is all in the day’s work. I only did what any other special would have done, hut I thanked) my lucky stars for the naval training that gave me just that extra quickness needed.”

Mrs Dick says; “Tony told me, ‘lt was just lucky it was me. Anybody would have done the same.’ But lam so proud ho acted so.” Sir Percy Laurie (Assistant-Commis-sioner of Metropolitan Police) lias telegraphed. Mr Dick thanking him for his promptitude and bravery.