WELLINGTON BANDIT

Greymouth Evening Star, 9 June 1934, Page 2

WELLINGTON BANDIT

POST OFFICE ROBBED. [PER PRESS ASSOCIATION.! WELLINGTON. June 8. An audacious and apparently '- aIG fully planned robbery took place a Wellington South to-day, when a about. 12.30 p.m. a man walked n Adelaide Road Post. Office, and compelled the official in charge to slant back at the revolver point, while nt calmly helped himself Io £5l in ban <- notes from the till money. With it safely in his pocket, the thiel quickly left the building by the front dooi, rushed up the street to a Lixi-stand about 20(1 yards away, and, telling inc taxi-man he was in a great hui iy, < • taken to the city as far as Manneis Street, where lie made off into a billiard saloon. Upon entering the Post Office the robber engaged in conversation with the officer, Mr Percival It. Hart for some minutes, concerning a fictitious address. Then he suddenly jumped over the counter, and pio duced a gun. “It. was the biggest, fright. I evei had in my life,” said Mr Hart, to-night. “1 quickly made my way backward to the back door, so as to run out to the street and give an alarm, but he said sharply: ‘Come back! Do not ™ ov °- pointing the revolver menacingly at me. I had no dption than to do as I was told, and, as I stood in trout of the fireplace at tne rear of the office he kept me carefully covered with the revolver in his right hand, and with his left he opened the till and calmly and carefully helped himself to the notes that were there. In al!, about £5l found its way to his pocket. Alter he had apparently taken all lie wanted, for, if lie had looked furthei, he would have about £3O more in notes, and the till was full of silver, he jumped over the counter back into the'office, and without saying a word, disappeared by the f ront dooi. Mr Hart added: “I did not rush out. after him for fear of what might greet me but I made my way immediately out” of the back door into Drummond Street, and questioned boys and men in the vicinity if they had seen the man, whom I described. They replied that they had not, so I then went back to the office and rang up the police and the Chief Postmaster.” It appears the robber ran down to the Diamond taxi-stand, and telling a driver he was in a hurry, was driven into town, where he entered a billiard saloon. While the actual hold-up was in progress a small boy came into the Post Office to buy a penny stamp, but, although he apparently saw something was happening, he did not give an alarm. He was seen by the police afterwards, and was able t» give a full description of the man, as were two taximen. No arrest has yet been made.