MAN-HUNT.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIV, Issue 88, 15 April 1933, Page 7

MAN-HUNT.

ARMED ASSAILANT.

WANTON SHOOTING.

GARAGE PROPRIETOR INJURED.

STOLEN CAR ABANDONED,

(By Telegraph.—"Star" Special Reporter.) NGARUAWAHIA, this day. One of the greatest man-hunts in the history of the police force in the Auckland Province is in progress. Detectives and constables, drawn from the Auckland and Waikato police districts are searching near Ngaruawahia for a young man, known to be armed with a heavy revolver. Last night at 10.30 this young man fired two shots from his revolver at Mr. James Pennington Bates, aged 52, garage proprietor, at Mereer. One of the bullets struck Mr. Bates _in_ the right groin. The other shot missed him. Mr. Bates was taken to the Auckland Hospital. The assailant is alleged to have used a motor car which was stolen in Auckland early last , evening from the vicinity of the Station Hotel. The shooting occurred after Mr. Bates had supplied the young man with benzine. The man in the car asked for four gallons, and Mr. Bates drew the benzine from the bowser pump, but when two and a half gallons had been put in the tank it overflowed. At the request of the motorist Mr. Bates then pumped air into the tyres. Mr. Bates waited for his customer to pay, but the man began to drive off without making payment. Mr. Bates jumped on the running board and demanded his money. The young man pulled the car up after going a few yards and, getting out, went to the back of the car to talk to Mr. Bates, who told him he was not going to let him go without paying. "I'm Desperate." "Look here, I'm desperate. I haven't got any money," said the young man. "That's no good to me," replied Mr. Bates, whereupon the young man drew a large revolver and fired two shots at Mr. Bates. "I was inside, but I heard, two shots ring out. My husband cried, 'My God, I'm shot,'" eaid Mrs. Bates, wife of the injured man, in describing the affair this morning. 1 "It happened about 10.30. A young man came to the front of the boardinghouse, which is next to the garage, and asked if he could get some benzine. I called my husband and he went out and unlocked the garage, which is a little distance away. The young fellow ran his car into the garage and first got some free air. Then he backed out and after my husband gave him three gallons of benzine, he asked for payment. 'I haven't got any money. I'm desperate,' he said. lie then pulled out a revolver and fired at my husband. The first shot hit liim in the groin and he jumped aside. The second shot luckily missed. "My husband called out, but before anyone had time to arrive from the boardinghouse, the young man had jumped into the 'baby' car and raced off toward Ngaruawahia. That was the last I saw of him." Police Search Begun. Constable H. J. Ohlsen, of Mercer, was called, and got in touch with Dr. A. T. Begg, of Pukekohe, and warned all police stations along the north and south roads. After having his wound temporarily dressed Mr. Bates was taken by car to the Auckland Hospital. On the Rangiriri deviation the car was met by Dr. Begg and Sergeant Cowan, of Pukekohe. The doctor made a hasty examination. The police were now scouring all the side roads between Mercer and Huntly, and later they went into Ngaruawahia. Two hours after the shooting the car was found abandoned, with a flat tyre and a flat spare tyre. It was half a mile on the Auckland side of the Ngaruawahia Bridge. At 11.45 Constable McGruer, from Ngaruawahia, travelling north, passed a man on the Ngaruawahia Bridge, and half a mile f further on he found the abandoned car, with the headlights still burning. He doubled back, but the man he had seen on the bridge had disappeared. When news of the shooting reached Pokeno early in the morning a garage propietor there rang the Mercer police to say that a young man had called in for benzine, and had acted in a peculiar manner. The stranger said he had only 1/7, and the garage man told him he could give him only half a gallon. After he had got the petrol the young man still hung about, but eventually went away. The garage man said the stranger, who was about 18 or 19 years of age, called about 10 o'clock last night. He was about sft 7in to sft Bin in height, of slight to medium build, and wore a stripped shirt with no collar. He had a dark felt hat, and wore new white canvas sandshoes. The garage man also gave the number of the car, which turned out to be the same as that found abandoned near the Ngaruawahia Bridge. The police this afternoon were searching for a man answering the description given by the garage man. Two revolver cartridges of a fairly big calibre are said to have been found in the abandoned car. After a fingerprint expert had worked on the car this morning he drove it back to Auckland. A wide police net has been drawn round the Ngaruawahia district. All roads and railways have been watched since midnight. Detective-sergeant P. J. Doyle and Detectives Mahood and Wilson, after obtaining a statement from Mr. Bates at the Auckland Hospital, left the city by car at 12.30 to join in the chase. At Ngaruawahia they joined Detectivesergeant J. A. Thompson and Detective J. White, of Hamilton. Inspector Eraser, of Hamilton, is directing the search from Ngaruawahia. More constables are expected to-night from Auckland. Residents Asked to Help. It is known that the suspect crossed the Ngaruawahia Bridge, travelling south. All roads and by-roads within 40 miles of Ngaruawahia have been searched, and both banks of the river have been scrutinised for a considerable distance. Residents in the outlying parts of the district liave been given a description of the man and have been asked to communicate with the Ngaruawahia police immediately they see him. It is possible that after crossing the bridge into Ngaruawahia township the man entered the railway yards and then got into the truck of a. passing goo da

train going either north, or south. It is also possible that he "was picked up'by a passing motorist before police stations had been advised or the alarm given. It is not anticipated that the suspect will be found, in daylight. Complete arrangements for tightening the police net to-night have been made.