ATTACKED BY YOUTH

Evening Post, Volume CXXV, Issue 148, 25 June 1938, Page 14

ATTACKED BY YOUTH

BLOW FROM HAMMER

NEW LYNN STOREKEEPER (By Telegraph—Press Association.) AUCKLAND, June 24. Shortly before 5.30 6'clock this afternoon a youth walked into a cycle store kept by Mr. W. H. Isdale, New Lynn, and, while the storekeeper's back was turned, attacked him with a hammer, and decamped. Mr. Isdale, who was severely wounded above the left ear, did not lose consciousness, but he lost ! a great deal of blood, and for several hours afterwards showed obvious effects of his experience. However, he refused to have a doctor. Finger-prints on the hammer and a description given by both the injured man and a bystander outside the shop provided valuable clues for the police, who are conducting a widespread Mr. isdale said he kept two shops— a small general store and a cycle shop —side by side. A well-built youth about 16 years of age entered the grocery store and asked him if he had any cycle ball-bearings the size of one he produced. Mr. Isdale went through the front door and into the cycle shop, followed by the youth. Mr. _ Isdale went straight to shelves behind the counter, which is about 2ft wide, and was about to take down a small box of cycle ball-bearings from the lower shelf when he was struck a hard blow on the side of the head. • "I didn't fall to the ground, but I felt very sick," Mr. Isdale said, "and I managed to turn my head in time to see the youth drop a hammer which had been lying on.the counter and hurry out the door." Constable Boag arrived shbrtly afterwards, and as soon as Mr. Isdale had informed him of the facts he set off in his motor-car in search -of the youth, who had made off on a bicycle. Constable Boag advised the Auckland detective office, and-men were dispatched in a police patrol car to scour the neighbourhood.