ARMED BURGLAR

Auckland Star, Volume LXIII, Issue 253, 25 October 1932, Page 8

ARMED BURGLAR

BIG SEARCH IN SYDNEY. MAN ESCAPES IN DARKNESS. (From Our Own Correspondent.) SYDNEY, October 18. What was described by one of our newspapers as "one of the most extensive police operations ever undertaken in Australia to capture one man" was conducted recently when the police drew a cordon across Vaucluse Peninsula, which separates Watson's Bay from the Rose Bay district in the vicinity of South Head. Their object was to capture an armed burglar who had succeeded in committing no less than seven robberies from various houses in the Vaucluse axea late on Friday night and early on Saturday morning. The man spent at least six hours in "paying calls," and as he was carrying an automatic, something like a reign of terror was set up in this beautiful little suburb. But the display of force—there were about 100 policemen and a number of residents engaged in the search —seems to have thoroughly scared the robber, who "went into smoke" during the day and made his way out between the watchers under cover of darkness. But it was an alarming episode, _as showing how easily a large population can be plundered and terrorised by • single desperado if he is well armed and is tolerably regardless of consequences. The police are said to have identified the man and are confident that they ca« find him.