WELLINGTON BANDITS

Greymouth Evening Star, 27 June 1932, Page 5

WELLINGTON BANDITS

CHINESE ATTACKED & ROBBED MIDNIGHT RAID ON HOUSE [per press association.] WELLINGTON, June 27. Three fully armed men surprised three Chinese, who were sitting in a room at the rear of a Newtown shop, at midnight on Saturday. The intruders hit one of the Chinese over the head with the butt of a revolver, bound and gagged them, and stole £55 in money and disappeared. The shop is sitjuataed -at the corner of Wilson and Riddiford Streets. The front door 'was locked, and the intruders made an unexpected entry through the back door. Once inside, they came to the point quickly. According to the Chinese, each of the men was armed with revolvers. They parleyed a little, and one of the Chinese, who showed signs of resisting, was hit over the head and injured. All three were then bound and gagged, and ranged’ with their backs against the wall. It appears that the criminals bound them with strips of torh-up aprons.

The intruders then searched the Chinese pockets and took their keys, after which the robbers went upstairs and emptied the safe of £55. When this was done, they vanished leaving the captives bound. One Chinese eventually managed to struggle free, and summoned assistance.

The police are now searching for the culprits.

PETROL PUMPS ROBBED. With unusual audacity, thieves burst the locks of two petrol pumps in the city and stole 134| gallons of petrol on Saturday afternoon or evening. The pumps, which are owned by Magnus Motors, are situated in a lane off Manners Street, beside the Grand Opera House. The locks of the two pumps were found by the nightwatchman broken, and the fact that a large quantity of petrol was stolen was soon discovered. The lock of the third pump was not tampered with. The attendant locked the pumps at noon, and from then until the theft was discovered, 134£ gallons of spirit were passed through the tubes.

, BURGLARS LOSE SPOIL. ( ' WATCHMAN’S TIMELY ARRIVAL WELLINGTON, June 27. A half-ton truck, two benzine cases filled with jewellery, a safe moved into position, ready to be taken away, and broken windows, were the main things left behind when two burglars at Laiichlan’s Ltd., Courtenay Place, took fright late, last night,' and hastily left 'the pyeinises. The truck had been driven into the alleyway, next to the rear of the premises, and the thieves had entered a back room of the shop, by breaking a window and undoing the catch. They were disturbed by the nightwatchman, and disappeared. LOSSES AT CHRISTCHURCH. CHRISTCHURCH, June 27. A pumber of business premises in Cashel Street were burglarised during the week-end. A. daring theft occurred at W. T. Vaughan Ltd., where furs worth £6O were stolen. The thieves were seen by a bystander, but they escaped.