ROBBED IN HIS SHOP

Evening Star, Issue 16515, 29 August 1917, Page 6

ROBBED IN HIS SHOP

MR BRADLEY IS SERIOUSLY ASSAULTED. LOSES"£2B. Mr Mat. Bradley was knocked imcon r scions in his boot shop at Maclaggan street last night, his unknown assailant rifling the safe of £2B, and making his escape unchallenged. It is Mr Bradley's habit to go down to his shop after tea and make up any existing arrears of work. He reached his shop at 8 last night, left the door open, laid his keys and overcoat on the shop counter, proceeded through to the work room, where ho switched on the light,- and then went out to the back for a minute. Returning, he found that the light "was out, and he dimly saw the outline of a man in the shop. Mr Bradley remarked " Hullo ! Waipori gone again ? Wait till I strike a match " —or something to that effect; but before ho could do so he received a heavy blow on the side of the head, which knocked him down. Mr Bradley ia no longer a young man, and, as most people know, be suffers from a physical disability $ but l*e is not the sort of man to be easily abused. On this occasion he got to his feet in the dark, and made a rush at his assailant. Before he could grapple with him, a second stunning blow on the head laid him unconscious on the floor. Somewhere about an hour later he came to. his senses, and staggering to his door called' a boy who was passing. The boy soon found Constable O'Connell, who called in Dr Evans A few minutes later Chief-detective Bishop and Detectives Cameron and Hall were on the scene. They found on the shop floor a broken beer bottle, which was evidently the weapon used to "cut" Mr Bradley. The safe had been opened with the keys so obligingly left' to the thief's hand on the counter, and , a sum of £2B in notes had been lifted. This is one of those cases that offer great difficulty to the police. Mr Bradley cannot describe his assailant in any way, and he seems- to have got clear away without attracting anyone's attention. Mr Bradley suffered a nasty blow, but fortunately he has not. been seriously in-' jured.. /