BANDITS FLOGGED.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIV, Issue 147, 24 June 1933, Page 4 (Supplement)

BANDITS FLOGGED.

SEVERE SENTENCES. TACKLING GUNMAN MENACE. ENGLISH OUTRAGES PUNISHED. Four bandits were dealt with at the Old Bailey in one day recently. One of them, arrested after shooting at a policeman in Hackney, was sentenced to ten years' penal servitude; the others, who were guilty of offences while armed, were ordered to be flogged. Referring to the use of a converted dummy revolver, the Recorder (Sir Ernest Wild, K.C.) said: "We await with anxiety the time when Parliament will find its way to make these vile weapons illegal." The ten years' sentence, was passed on William Smith, 27, engineer, accused of garage breaking at Hackney and possessing a firearm and ammunition with intent to endanger life. Mr. Gerald Dodson, prosecuting, said that Smith and another man were kept under observation by Constable Todd, who eventually asked thero to stojj. The other man ran away, but Smith fired a revolver at the constable and then threw it away. It had never been recovered. The policeman was not hit. Dr. W. Sass, medical officer at Pentonville Prison, said that Smith had been mentally unstable and might be certifiable later. Detective-Sergeant Irons said that Smith had a number of previous convictions, and in August, 1929, was certified and sent to Colney Hatch. He escaped, and later was arrested, after he had violently assaulted and injured three police officers. On that occasion he barricaded himself in an outhouse and attempted to keep the officers off with lead piping and pieces of wood. He was removed to Broadmoor and discharged cured in November, 1931. Smith was a very violent and dangerous criminal, and invariably went about armed. "He is a menace to the public," added the officer, "especially to young lads. He never goes out unless he has young lads with him. whom he forces to commit crimes. On one occasion he made three lads strip themselves and swim across a canal to break into a warehouse."

"Dastardly Hold-ups." An attempted raid on a branch of Lloyds Bank in Commercial Road* Stepney, was described when Alexandet Black, 19, painter, pleaded guilty to being armed with a revolver and assaulting two men with intent to rob. He was sent to prison for twelve months and was ordered eighteen strokes of the birch. Mr. Anthony Hawke, prosecuting, said that Black and two other men entered the bank. One man asked about a draft to Australia and Black inquired if he could open a savings bank account. The cashier turned to get a book, and when he returned to the coiinter one of the men presented a revolver, saying, "Put your hands, up or I'll blow your brains out." Black also presented a revolver at the clerk and said. "You as well." "Mr. Glasscock, the cashier, and Mr. Connington, the clerk, did not hold their hands up," added Mr. Hawke. "Mr. Glasscock dropped on lus hands and knees and went to the telephone, and Mr. Connington went to the manager's room. "The three men, seeing that they had not terrorised the officials, ran away. 'Jwo escaped, but Black was caught after a chase. The weapon in his possession was

loaded with two live cartridges and four pieces of lead with a charge behind them."

The Recorder: It was one of those dummy pistols that have been converted. These clerkti seem to have behaved with considerable courage. Mr. Hawke: Also Mr. George Clark and Mr. Nello Cardosi, who between them ■caught Black.

Mr. Sol Harris, cap manufacturer, High Street, Glasgow, said that he would employ Black when he finished his sentence. Sir Ernest Wild, sentencing Black, i,aid: "These dastardly hold-ups are becoming almost weekly occurrences in the metropolis. This was a carefully prepared scheme for terrorising bank officials and binding them up at the point of the revolver. That is a course of conduct we are determined not to tolerate in this country."

The Recorder ordered that the two bank officials should receive a reward of £2 each and that Mr. Clark and Mr. Cardosi should have £3 each. "There has been a much greater spirit of citizenship lately," he added.

Cards Cut Before Hold-up. A statement that they cut cards as to who should use a dummy revolver in a hold-up was read when Hugh Hughes, 25, commercial traveller, Bath Road, Melksham, Wilts, aud Sidney Albert Barber, 25, pleaded guilty to an armed theft from the estate office of the Worshipful Company of Skinners, Clerkenwell. The two men went to the office and Barber presented a dummy revolver at Mr. Cecil Thomas Sticking's, the clerk. Prisoners snatched £6 and made off in a waiting motor car. Barber made a statement that the revolver belonged to Hughes, and that they cut a pack of cards as to who should use it. He (Barber) lost. The Recorder sentenced Hughes to nine months' imprisonment with fifteen strokes of the birch, and Barber to ten months' imprisonment with fifteen strokes of the birch. Mr. St.ickings was commended for his courage in the affair, and Sir Ernest Wild directed that he receive a reward of £3 3/.