BANK ROBBERY.

Press, Volume LXII, Issue 18626, 26 February 1926, Page 6

BANK ROBBERY.

REVOLVER SHOTS IN DARKNESS. AN EXTRAORDINARY SEQUEL

Interest is lent to this account of an old-time bank robbery by the approach of the Kumara Jubilee.

The residents in the vicinity of the Bank of New South Wales, in Seddou street, were alarmed at 4 o'clock on the morning of August 10th, 1877, by the sound of revolver shots and cries of "Police!" proceeding from that institution. A number of people were soon on the scene, despite the rain and darkness which prevailed. The first to arrive were the nearest neighbours to the bank. viz. Mr H. Burger and Mr Joshua Gibson. The first sight that met their eves was the bank agent, Mr H ,in his nightshirt, disappearing down a right-of-way to the rear of the building, firing a revolver as he went. The front door of the bank was open, and a lighted candle upon the floor showed Mr L , the teller, also in night attire, standing guard, pistol in hand, over an apparently rifled safe. Scarcely had there been time to ask a hurried question before H rushed in through the back door, shouting excitedly, "He faced me ones, but thought better of it, and got away in the dark." "But," said If —, "how did you get in J The back door was locked from the inside!" "By G ," said H , "so it was! There must have been two of them, and one slipped out through the back while we were chasing the other.'" Thereupon a rush was made to make a further search for the burglars. Nothing of them could be seen, however, but Mr Burger picked up a heavy bag of gold (afterwards valued at £1900), and Mr Gibson discovered a parcel of notes of the value of £4OO. The robber appeared to have tripped over a barrel. Both gold bag and notes were liberally smeared with blood, showing that one of H 's shots had taken effect, probably in the hand. The police soon arrived on the scene, and in the grey dusk of early morning, H told his tale.

Agent's Account of Eaid. He was sleeping in a room at the back, and had been wakened by something very light touching his face. He thought it was a mouse, and went to sleep again. About an hour later he was again wakened by hearing a noise near the safe in the bank. He at once felt for his revolver, which he had placed as usual under his pillow. It was not there. 'He had seen it in its place during the previous evening, and had spoken to his companion in charge, Mr L , of the advisability of discharging and re-loading, it. When he found that his revolver was gone he suspected that something waa wrong, and called Mr L- ,at the same time hurrying into the bank. Here he at once made for a. revolver which is kept in a holster behind the counter. To his agreeable surprise he found it in its place and secured it. No sooner had he done so than he perceived the door of the bank opening and closing. Without losing a, moment he fired at the opening, where he fancied he could dimly perceive the outline of n. man making" hi 3 exit. The shot struck the door close to the outer edge, went through the frame diagonally, and lodged in the jamb, whence it was later extracted. The robber made his way towards the back by going between the bank and the adjoining building.

Circumstantial Evidence. Mr II , having described his experience, was warmly congratulated upon his pluck and that of his assistant. A glance round the bank office showed the police and Pressmen a safe standing open, and near it a bed covered with mattress and coverlet. The thieves had evident lain hidden beneath this bed, under the mattress of which the kev3 of the safe were generally hidden. Under the bed, and behind the safe were found a number of matches and'traces of spitting, showing that the two men had been secreted in the places named. An old Panama hat, mouldy from disuse, and a dirty white handkerchief, were found near the safe, and the vouchers which hung close to the safe were covered with droppings from a sperm candle. One of the cleverest detectives ever on the Australian and New Zealand gold-fields, who afterwards ro&e to be 1 chief of his department in New Zealand, was at this timo stationed m Hokitika. This was Detective Charles Brown, and he arrived and took charge of the case at the bank, just as the morning mail was being delivered. j£ . excitedly showed Brown the following letter which, from its contents, had been intended to reach him earlier. It bore the postmark of August 10th, and was covered with droppings from a sperm candle. "Sunday August (the space where the date may have been placed was covered by a large blot). 1 <(^r jr . Iknowedyou when was in Ross. You done me a good turn. I tell you to be. on gard because to of mv mates asked me to go and help him to" sntick up a bank in Sedon street. I-tn'ink it is thay Bank of New Zealand. I consinted but I thought hither of it. I promised thin not to tell. I believe thav intind shticken it or some bank on Munday other night weak, there is a privat bet on it. Won inhnds steahn in with boots of ( . a FKIXD; ,

Detective's Clever Work. Mncli excitement was of course caused by tlie event, the Kumara "Times" nnd the general public expressing their admiration .it the actions If H . and L —~. The Government and the bank were urged to offer a handsome reward, but no such step followed. Detective Brown "lay low and said nuthin," in spite of ridicule and charges of having, once at least, been beaten. Then, more than a week afterwards, came the sequel, which may be most appropriately styled the denouement. The cruel bank suspended the two officials and the silly Detective had them arrested! "YTas Brown mad? Did he suppose that these two steady young men, of the most, respectable parentage, who had worked themselves up to positions of great responsibility, had framed up the whole affair?" Indeed he did, and proved it in the Supreme Court, Hokitika. He showed that the Fanaraa hat was an old one belonging to H - himself. He proved by his own evidence and that of experts, that the hand-writing of the anonymous letter was that of H disguised. Ho showed that the amount with which the burglars had "got away" ex-

actly coincided with the amount of a shortage in II > s accounts. The Detective admitted that the affair was fairly well carried out, and that, but for the one error of judgment which all criminals commit, suspicion might not have arisen against the two clerks. He had noticed that the blood upon the gold bag and npon the notes remained red, and showed in Court that it was still so. It was nothing but red ink! Had ll— only purposely cut his own finger or bled his nose and used the blood, his scheme might possibly have not been discovered. H received a sentence of two years' imprisonment. L was discharged upon* a aort of "not guilty but don't do it again" verdict. Headers will now see why the. full surnames of the clerks are" not given here.