BURGLAR IN BANK.

Press, Volume LX, Issue 18129, 19 July 1924, Page 17

BURGLAR IN BANK.

[ pOT TO FLIGHT BY SHOT. , A WAIMATE SENSATION. WADIATE, July IS. There were sensational happenings in ffaimate in the early Lours of tins concerns a robbery from a ' jctelwnich has already been twice within a period of twelve aonths when largo sums of money -ferc taken each time. In the present iitance only.£l2 was taken. The second refers to the attempted jobbery of the safe at the local branch rf the Bank of New South Wales, when Ag intruder was discovered by a j-ni official residing on the premises, STfired a revolver at the burglar, who assuaged to get away in the darkness. Forbes White, the cashier, who 7 ttrides in the upstairs portion of tiie ■ tank'* premises with his wife, was •Tokened at 4 o'clock this morning by Bearing an unusual noise on the ground floor. A farther noise occurred, and on throwing up the window which looked - jatotbe backyard he saw the indistinct form of a man standing in thi dooriray of the back entrance to the bank. Jfr White fired a revolver as the man jtarted to move forward, but the dark- [ BeM gpoilt his aim, and the shot went astray. The man took to his heels down tie yard, and escaped through the back jnte, which he took care to lock after jjßl there being a bolt on the inside jjj a button on the outside. Mr White. then vent downstairs to communicate with the police, but found that the tele•jjojie wires had been cut. A baker ins passing on his way to work, and Jie brought the police, but the man had med the opportunity to make good his escape. k An investigation showed the bank jciyg to be missing, but no money had been taken, the second key of the safe ' secessary for ita opening having been '« jB possession of the manager, Mr x Pevell, who does not reside on the ■■ amitei. Mr White said the intruder " last have moved very cautiously dur- >," ijg his operations. An entrance had £*seen effected by forcing a window at ■: Jbe rear o£ the building. The burglar \ Jfait-have climbed upstairs to Mr ' mite's room, secured the keys and - pia down again, and was trying keys - when Mr White awakened. The bullet y apparently went very near its mark, 1 -a a portion of the concrete on the Trail where the man was standing was dipped away. The evidence points to the fact that the burglar was an old hand and skilled / at ids work, as all the doors and gates hid been opened ready for instant night if found necessary. As a further | Jnidranee to pursuit he had taken the precaution to turn off the gas at the sifter. vA sound like the failing of a bottle £ tie bar aroused Mrs D. Coffey, wife of the licensee of the Criterion Hotel, gpbrtly after 3 o'clock this morning. listened and heard light footsteps, j te tried to rouse her husband, but it a heavy sleeper. Moreover, she j hid awakened' him" in the past for j smei«d sounds or creaking noises in tfo timber of the old building, so she ! Edited, and opened the bedroom door sad 'listened for the chink of money, ai the- safe contained only silver. Posffldy she made noise enough to warn tie intruder,, for she heard no more woads from the lower floor, and rej£ra»dto bed. It appears that another Wf resident in the hotel heard the wse also, and was 'toable to wise the girl Bleeping in her room. ffWhen the. licensee came down later, is the morning/to open the bar the safe was locked, as he had left it, and as ~ Qiere were no traces of an intrusion f£p scouted the*idea of robbery. How- £■ qrer, on opening the safe, he found that \ silver to thauvalue-of £l2 wasmissing, :'\l&ly copperl|i|ieihg Jeft, and the safe r\s»d been locked; again' after the theft. &,Jmtrance had. beeneffected, by a win- \ the which is easily >«nlocked from 'the outside. ' , £" A notable • fact,,is that the, previous , Beensee, Mrs; Stenhouse, had the house Sice burglei' Th'efifst time the safe d been left unlocked by her, but on %e second occasion it was left locked found locked,, but the trays containing money were missingj being afterwards found empty in a vacant section nearby; It is believed the Igliee. were, inclined to scout the idea % the money, being taken on that occasion, hut Mm Stenhouse's evidence » 4 supported by this = morning's o4ewnßee»>~:? •- ■-■*■ '