BANK SENSATION.

Auckland Star, Volume LIV, Issue 50, 28 February 1923, Page 11

BANK SENSATION.

MANAGER ATTACKED. SOLDIER'S LAPSE. A PATHETIC CASE. (Froni Our Own Correspondent.) SYDNEY. February 23. „ ■-- his arrest after a senWSempt to rob a Sydney subur- »*? if tart Tue«d_v "Paddy" Jlaucn—ion, ' .'he died soon afterwards. 'l h . case bone of the most remarkh. in the annals of crime hero, and Wv one of the ......r pathetic. CeWt'ein, a returned sohlter. who was Cttot it." l«v,, a destitute wife ,„a family of fo«.r young children. The attack, which was on the manar of the Hurlstone Park branch ot the Government Savin?. Hank. «as made LV the lunch hour when he was the *Sy person in the bank. The mtruder Ibbed the manager (Mr. Steele ) (j fev the Cat-and tried to punch him into SUlbUity. But lie was beaten off, t „d when the manager called lor his {rife who was in the residence behind the'bank, the intruder dashed away. Thrpolice were communicated with, and tefor-long a po.se was chasing the intruder on bicycles He was captured and removed to tne oolice station. Soon after arrival he ,sked for a drink of water. He was K en to drink the water and a moment afterwards he collapsed on the floor. He said to a policeman, "It's all over, old boy," and then sank into unconsciousness and died. A search of his clothes revealed a packet containing

strychnine. The tragedy of the thing is that Hauenstein had been an honest, eleanliving man, a pood husband, and a good soldier. Dr. Kane, of Hurlstone Park. tio knew Hauenstein for the last twelve years, said that he had never encountered such a sad case. "He was very straight, very honest, and a very decent fellow." said the doctor. "He was always a trier, but it seemed his fate to take one step forward and two back, tfhen he came back from the war, having an honourable record, he made superhuman efforts to get on his feet. He went rabbiting, and he took a hand at insny other occupations, but circumstances invariably went against him. until doubtless he became broken and desperate." His career with the A.I.F. is typically that of a man's man. He went away in 1914 as a stretcher bearer, and after lervice in Egypt and France, was selected to join an officers' training school in North Wales. He was a born sport who shone above others in the eunp as a footballer, and was one of tie few selected after the Armistice to train at Henley-on-Thames to represent the Australian Army at the famous 1919 .regatta. He wfts not included in the filial crew, although his brother gained I position:

Hauenstein was a policeman for many yttrr. In one case he fought off several iisailants but here again fate was •gainst him, for his brave dped never TSsehsd beyond his own police station. One of the constables at the station iiid that Hauenstein was a good fellow who always seemed to be battling against circumstances. He got a conitract for painting some of the harbour wharves,.on which he Ipst money. He contracted again ana lost more. Things west from bad to worse, and of late ■Wtbs ja*_wony and strata, seemed to _tey on his mind. He was destitute tod doubtless made his attempt on the s%nk ia sheer desperation, j lie family .is highly respected in the Jitrict, and already steps have been Wen to.provide them with assistance.