SHOTS FIRED

Press, Volume LXX, Issue 21334, 29 November 1934, Page 10

SHOTS FIRED

STOREKEEPER WOUNDED AT WOODEND THIEVES SURPRISED AT WORK Armed robbers, -disturbed while breaking into the Woodend Store, wounded the proprietor, Mr C. B. Bourne, with a shot from a firearm, while they raced away in a motor-car shortly after 2 o'clock yesterday morning. Mr Bourne had previously fired a shot to scare the robbers and to rouse the residents, and his fire was returned by the thieves. The intruders drove away at a great pace from a narrow road by the side of the store, and though Mr .Bourne fired r.gain. the thieves also fired, and the second shot struck him on-she left hand, Mr Bourne had no more cartridges and had to watch the men driving away.

Mr Bourne was returning from a wedding party with his wife, when he heard noises as of men in the shop. Arming himself with a gun he went round to the front of the store, where he saw them coming out of a big door in the side. As he came round the corner he fired over their head.3, a»d one turned instantly and fired a shot, which went wide.

This man rejoined his companions, and all ran to a car parked facing the main road. As the car gathered speed two more shots were fired at Mr Bourne, the second striking him on the lingers of his left hand, though not seriously wounding him. The other also went wide. It was impossible to tell how many men were in the party, as it was very dark at the lime, but it appeared as if there were two or three.

The store is a general provision and hardware establishment, and is about a chain from the hall where the party was held. It is on the main road rnd faces Ihe Woodend Post Office. Mr Bourne's house is detached from ihe store, on the north side. After Mr Bourne had reported Ihe matter to the police, he returned to inspect Ihe store. It was found that the thieves had drilled through inch plunks of the door with a brace and bit. They had thus removed a section of the door and could then pull back the bar of wood that fastened it. This let them into the storeroom, but they must have been dfsHirbed soon afterwards, as nothing was taken. Ton holes had boon drilled at the top and bottom of a section IS inches long.

It is possible that the work may have been done by a gang that lias followed similar methods of breaking into city and suburban stores. The wall of' a grocery store in Papantu was drilled in a similar manner, but this time the hole was large enough to admit a man.

A car, driven vcrv fast, ran into a mob of cattle on th" road between Woodend and Kaiaooi. very shortly after 2 o'clock, and a large bullock was hit. The catt'c were being driven into Ihe Addington market. During the morning Suoermfendnit D. .T. Cummings. Chief-Detective \V. H. Dunlop. two other detectives, pnd a police photographer were on the -cene. No arrest has yet been made.