MASKED ROBBER

Press, Volume LXX, Issue 21123, 26 March 1934, Page 6

MASKED ROBBER

I —„__*_ — | MAN ATTACKED IN ! GARAGE I I KSCAI'E AND A ITKSI IT 1 ! I : A masked man held up Mr Harold ; G. Bolton shortly after 11 o'clock on Friday night as Mr Bolton was putting his ear in the garage he uses at . St. Andrew's Hill Mount Pleasant. Mr Bolton, who is manager of the Wookston Self Help store, was carrying more than £SO with him at tiie j time, and had previously been held I up bv a masked man with a pistol I in his own store. Fie is inclined to ' think that this man is identical with ' his assailant of Friday night. Before Mr Bolton had had time to ; get out of the ear a masked man " opened the door, and putting his head i round addressed him. Ill' Bolton made a grab at the mask that the : ; man was" wearing, and was pushed 1 on lo the floor of the car. As he fell he lashed out with his foot and struek 1 his assailant in the stomach, who stag- .' ; gered back. As he made to go away | lie slammed the door behind him and l struck Mr Bolton's legs. 1 ! The man then made off and Mr ■ Bolton went after him, but did not notice in which direction lie had gone till he saw a man on a bicycle riding towards town. He then gave chase in his car, but the fugitive went down an alleyway by the side of the HeathCote Arms Hoick As he was crossing the Heatheote bridge Mr Bolton met Mr Johansen, who joined with him in the chase. The glare of the headlights caught the man as the ear swung into the lane, but that was the last that they saw of him. They spent more than an hour searching. Mr Johansen said that the only man he saw was one pointed out to him by Mr Bolton, and he noticed him under the street light at the tram stop at the far side of the Ferry road bridge. They followed this man down a track at the side of the Heatheote Arms Hotel, but lust trace of hnn almost immediately. As all was quiet, Mr Johansen searched a manuka hedge at the back, which was Hanked by long grass, for any trace of the bicycle. He also followed up the foreshore, tor a short way, but I found no furthir sign of the fugitive. When lie lirsl noticed the man, Mr Johansen continued, lie was riding n bicycle with one hand and with the other was holding a white handkerchief to his face. He appeared lo besturdily built, and was wearing a heavy dark overcoat and fell hat. - ______