WANGANUI HOLD-UP

Dominion, Volume 27, Issue 73, 19 December 1933, Page 11

WANGANUI HOLD-UP

Police Search So Far Not Successful INTRUDER WEARING HOOD Dominion Special Service. Wanganui, December 18. Wanganui police are prosecuting a vigorous search, so far without success, for the man who held up a motormaa in the corporation tramway premises in Taupo Quay last night and robbed him of approximately £3 in silver. They have very little to work on. The intruder has been described as ' of medium build, about five feet seven or eight inches in height. At the time he was wearing neither coat nor waistcoat. Over his head was a dark-colour-ed cloth, which covered the whole of his features — a hood similar in shape to that worn by the famous Ku Klux Klan, but very roughly made. Motorman Melville, the victim of the hold-up, says that there is no doubt that the intruder watched his chance so as to have only one man to deal with. ' A small revolver was presented and in a manner menacing enough to convince the motorman that the robber meant business. In such circumstances, the motorman has stated, and in view of the fact that there was a comparatively small amount of cash within reach, it- jvas not the best policy to test out the genuineness, or otherwise, of the weapon, or the determination of the man who held it. Apart from that, the happening occurred so quietly and so suddenly that Mr. Melville was presented with very little chance to do more. Immediately the intruder had left he telephoned the police. It is thought that in choosing a Sunday the culprit was hopeful of finding a good deal of money about, and also that the premises would be lightly staffed. Under the one-man tramway system approximately 50 per cent. ,of the takings during each weekday are brought into the checking office by motormen in locked containers, having been placed there in correct change by the public travelling outward from the city. Motormen themselves cannot unlock these. The other fares, which are collected on the inward journeys by the motormen, are- loose. On Sundays, however, largely because of the abnormal holiday traffic to beaches and other reserves, the locked containers are not used, and in consequence the money collected from fares is all loose. Thus a man Intending to rob the motormen’s office would logically choose a Sunday in the belief that the whole day’s takings of a tram would be easily got at, instead of 50 per cent, of them being locked away in a container of which the clerical staff held the key. The tramway premises are in a portion of the city that is little used at night-time, the yard fronting on to the main railway line after it crosses Taupo Quay. There are three tram barns well back from the'quay, and a small brick building serves as the administration block. This contains a room for motormen, and in this the loose money is counted at night-time and afterward sent down a patent chute into the strongroom in a locked office. Under this system the only opportunity that would present itself for a hold-up would be when the money was actually being counted, as was the case last night.