BANK HOLD-UP.

Auckland Star, Volume LII, Issue 56, 7 March 1921, Page 4

BANK HOLD-UP.

I . I A DAB.IKG AFFAZR. ROBBERS" SHORT-LIVED SUCCESS, MELBOURNE, February 24. j A daring daylight robbery took place this afternoon at the Bank of Victoria, I Fitzroy, and following- an exciting chase !bv the police, two armed and masked ; nien were overpowered and arrested and the sum of £460 in note? recovered. It was just before closing time, and the ! accountant, a clerk and two lady clerks were busily engaged at a desk, when, en 1 hearing a door being closed, the «o 'countant looked up to find two meS in overalls with caps and masks and carry- | ins revolver?. One called oat, "Dont ! etir or we'll shoot you."' : The accountant was moving back to- ! wards the private house attached to the : bank when the bigger of the intrudenß ' pushed him into the telephone room near by. Onp of the burglars said to the ! clerk. "'lf you move I'll shoot you." At I this ?tage the young ladies ran oat at j the bank sereamhig, and the trvo robber* ' hastily secured several bundles of notes ■ from the tills and decamped. Two plain-clothes constables shortly 'afterwards overpowered a man after a struggle, and took him to the wateb- . house, where £100, a revolver loaded in every eham'her, and 100 rounds of cartridg«e were found-on him. A second man I "was chased and overpowered in a Fitzroy ■ backyard, where he was discovered with a German automatic Mauser revolrer. IHe violently resisted arrest, and with" ] a distinctly American accent hurled lurid imprecations upon his captore. Note* t* the value of £360 were found in his pockets. At the Fitzroy watchhouse John Bernhardt (24), seaman, of Denmark, and Paul Frederick Frazier (23), eeaman, of America, were charged with having been armed with offensive weapons, with, assault, and -c-jth the robbery of £460.