HOLD-UP ALLEGED

Evening Post, Volume CXXVI, Issue 63, 12 September 1938, Page 11

HOLD-UP ALLEGED

TWO MSN CHARGED

THE AUCKLAND CASE

(By Telegraph—Press Association.) AUCKLAND, This Day." An armed hold-up at the Atta Taxi Service Station early in-the morning on August 8 had an echo in the Police Court this, afternoon when Harold Last Gray, aged 49.. ship's fireman, and Arthur Stickings, aged 30. seaman and taxi-driver, were jointly charged that ] being armed with a shotgun theyj robbed Frank Pickering of a leather brief bag containing £219 odd. the property of the Atta Taxi Company. Stickings, who was arrested in^Sydney and extradited to Auckland, was represented by Mr. Selwyn Clarke. Gray .was not represented by counsel. Only one witness was heard before lunch. Giving evidence, Frank Pickering said that he was the sole attendant in charge of tlte '"set^ice" station'; ■having'l^commenced duty at 11 o'clock the previous night. Between 3 and 4 o'clock in the niorning he answeired a knock on the outside back door, and found himself confronted by two masked men,, one having a sawn-off • shotgun. Both hammers of the gun were cocked. Stickings was holding the gun, although the witness did not recognise him at the time. He told witness to get into the office. Witness did so, remarking: "What the h .' . . is the joke?" The gun was pointed at him all the time. A second masked man held' a piece of iron piping about two feet in length. The man with the gun said, "Open up." Witness opened the till. ....'. ; "While I was covered with the gun," witness said, "The second man opened the safe with the keys1. He took out two canvas bags of money and a leather brief bag. He put the first two bags into, a sugar sack and took the brief bag in his hand." The men backed out and "went for their lives." Witness said that Stickings was known to him when he was a driver for the Atta Taxis While committing the robbery he disguised his voice. The other man was similar in build and appearance to Gray-. The case is-proceeding.