WAVE OF CRIME

Evening Post, Volume CXL, Issue 103, 29 October 1945, Page 6

WAVE OF CRIME

HOLD-UPS IN SYDNEY

SYDNEY, October 28

The crime wave in Sydney continues There were three gun holdups in the suburbs last night. An armed man struck down and shot a watchman at the Balmam timber yards, a bullet from a rifle going through the watchman's chest. A woman at Dover Heights was robbed of £40 at the point of a gun by a youth wearing the uniform of an American officer. „ ■ ■ At Glebe two armed men held up a taxi-driver, and escaped with £lb. Detectives believe the crime wave is likely to last for several years. They say it is impossible to estimate the number of, revolvers ]md pistols either in the possession of Sydney s underworld or available to it, but there might easily be'thousands. Most of the weapons have been brought from battle stations and sold by servicemen. The police believe submachineguns have been hidden by the criminals for future use. Many residences in the suburbs were robbed during the night. A shop at the suburb of Marrickville was broken into and £500 in money stolen. An elderly man and woman, attracted to their front door by noise, were knocked down and kicked by three men ■ demanding money. After being battered for some time they handed over a jewel case containing a pearl tie-pin set in gold and £4 10s in money. ' , , Shots were fired by a watchman at men atterrpting to break into a house at Rose Bay, "