HIGHWAYMAN MOTORIST

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2114, 3 April 1914, Page 9

HIGHWAYMAN MOTORIST

ATTEMPT AT SUICIDE. CHAUFFEUR'S STORY OF WILD NICHT RIDE. Mr. Leo Bond, tho mad Now Forest motorist; recently, terrorised three counties .with loaded revolvers during a .wild week-end ride, and mad© a determined attempt .to commit suicide while under arrest. Thb'"storj of the mad' ride through Hampshire, Wiltshire,. and Dorset, was told to ,a "Daily News", representative by tho chauffeur Saint, who [was compelled to carry out Bond's "orders at tho point of a loaded revolver. Saint,, who was djiving for 30 hours, is suffering from exhaustion and shock.

j "Drive Like Fury." "I was summoned," ho said, "to Mill House, 'Bond's residence, about two o'clock on. Saturday ' afternoon. We drove through various places to Weymouth, and as Bond seemed to have no idea as to where he wanted to stop I pulled up aaid refused to go any further. Ho -nulled. out a revolver and said if I did not go on ho would shoot and shoot to kill.' There wero many people about;' but. ho hid tho firearm 'under his "coat, and no one could. see what was taking place. "Then we ran out of petrol. That was the first time I got out of tho car t-5 fill up/ but 'ho kept mo covered. We drove straight through Dorchester to Puddletown, reaching there about 4.30. Bond ordered some petrol and two head lamps and the man wanted £6 each. Bond'got into tlie car when the lamps wero lignted;'and' holding the revolver at my head said: 'Drive, liko fury.' "Wo went: back into Dorchester, and then t-owards Bridport. There had been a fair. at Dorchester, and thero were a lot, of people on the road. Some of them Bond held up. He sfeemed to prefer bylanes. Presently' we/came upon a yotnig lady_ arid a man who wanted a lift, as they had three miles to go. Bond pulled'out'his "revolver and' said, 'Your monoy or your life.'- Tho girl ran away, screaming, and tho mail ran on in front of the car and warned the other people in tho road. ■ ' ■

■ Shots at a Girl. : "Wo overtook, a young lady 'and a on, bicycles. iioncl . stopped • the par.'-and; wanted to talk to the young lady.' . She backed away from him. The young man called her to come, but she would not do so, and Bond nred over her . head. : She was more frightened, than ever,, and. rah. down tho road, screaming,'- : 'and ; jumped through a gap in.'t'he hedge and. disappeared. "I backoi the ear, but Bond made me go oh again. The man had disappeared also, andrthe bikes were in the 'ditch.. :We left' about 10 .o'clock and' went on tJo Blandford. x Somewhere on the road Bond tried to get into.a post office, but 'was unable, to ,do so, and thert lio went to an inn and inquired about the load. . .■■ .. '

"We then ; went .on towards Wimborne, and got to ...Shaftesbury in the. early, hours of tlio morning, ; whcre wo got. some petrol..Wo stopped 'at . a farmer's place,;. Bond thinking it was a garage. The farmer said that he had not got-any'petrol,, and Bond-said,that, if, ho did not give 'him eoino thero would .be bullets flying.

. "At length ho- reached the garage, and. took in some petrol and; left the empties.-. When the man went to got tho bill Bond made-me drive off. .We then went; towards Salisbury, and at Wilton a Bplic to;, stop, us., Bond poiiuel-ond'' revolver at'me'"and' .0110 at the! inspector^..and said, 'Drive straight. l on ; stoi>:-for' nothing.' 1 '

. .Pursued.by Groy Car. "Nothing Occurred: on the Salisbury. road except tnat Bond stopped and examined -Ins way. He decided to go to 'Warminster, and we left Salisbury. oil the right, but turned off before wo got :to Bournemouth. He to.'d mo he wanted to get on the North lioad. At times he appeared to be dozing, and ,1 worked my way ; back ; to Frome,' but' nothing happened, except that when he was awake he occasionally said, 'Be careful] Saint, I have'got you covered.' "We came back through Shaftesbury again, rand I managed to work my way round .into Ringwood and through Pilwell, near. Lymington, and eventually I got to Mill House in the evening'. He let me go to the garage, where the police were awaiting me." : During tho day, added Saints Bond looked up into the- sky, and said, "Saint, there's a' large grey motor-car with five men; following us; put, on more speed." And, true enough, a car of that defive persons, was endeavouring to get on his track.

Three policemen , cantured him in his garden on Sunday flight. One. gripped his arms to his body, and the others took from his hands two loaded revolvers. ,

Very little, is known of Bond at Lyndhurst.. About twelve months ago . lie appeared at, ihe' ; village and rented a' 'cottage, ,known as ■ Mill House. About 23 years of age, he snoke with a strong American accent, and often referred to 'American .topics.'with ...tip assurance of one intimately acquainted with them. Ho: never, spoke about his family or former "life. He slept in a tent', or theopen air, and lived practically on fruit and prodigious quantities of milk and cream, and had n "Weakness : for night,.,.motor rides. he would hire a horse, and, 1 attired in a white, shirt and .pith helmet, In would career across the Forest at a gallop during the night until the animal was exhausted. . . ,