ATTEMPTED STICKING-UPON THE PARNELL BEACH ROAD.

Auckland Star, Volume V, Issue 1487, 16 November 1874, Page 2

ATTEMPTED STICKING-UPON THE PARNELL BEACH ROAD.

It is now years fince the people of Auckland were compelled to take precautions against the crime known as '' sticking-up." it has in fact, been one of the rarest offences on our criminal calendar —the case tried last session of " sticking-up" in Symonds-street being the only one we at present remember. An offence of this nature was, however, attempted on Saturday nigh!; last, at about half past eleven o'clock. A Portugese was returning from town to his homo in Parnell, along tho road round tha beach to Mechanic 8 Bay. He had a bundle of new clothes under his arm. When he reached the stone building close in to the cliff, between the Wynyard Pier and the Strand, Mechanics' Bay, a man sprang out, and said, " I want that bundle of clothes." The person thus assailed, replied, "Do you realty mean that ?" man approaching him with the evident intension of seizing him, said "I do." The Portugese retreated a short distance, and drew his knife, and said that if his as3,'.ilant came any nearer he would stab him. Upon seeing the man armed and very determined the scoundrel did not attempt to follow ; and the Portuguese made his way as rapidly as possible to the .Strand, where he reported the matter to the night watchman employed at tho Union Sash and Door Company's building. Jt is surmised that he had been seen to purchase the clothes in town, and had been dogged to tho place mentioned. The night watchman employed by the Sash and Door Company, informs us that on the previous inorniug he was ujoing his rounds at half-past three, accompanied by his dog, and when two hundred yards along the beach road, his attention was drawn by the barking of his dog to a man reclining with his head on his hand behind a pile of firewood. He accosted him, inquiring what brought him there at that unseasonable hour. The man replied that he sat down to rest and had fallen asleep. The watchman told him to get up and walk off which he did. This occurrence most likely has no connection with the attempted sticking-up of Saturday, but the two circumstances occurring nearly together should warn those who are in the habit of lying down in out-of-the-way places and at improper hours that their conduct may bring upon them suspicion of complicity in more serious offences. We hope the police will thoroughly sift the occurrence of Saturday night, in order to nip in the bud this very daagerous class of crime.