BANKER MURDERED.

Grey River Argus, 10 July 1922, Page 5

BANKER MURDERED.

BURGLARS TAKE HIS KEYS. BUT FAIL TO OPEN SAFE.

[A. and N.Z. Cable Association.] (Received July 9 at 5.5 p.m.) SYDNEY, July 9. Air Frank Cecil Kemmis, Manager of the Hornsby branch of the Savings Bank, was assaulted in a train between Hornsby and Waihroonga, on his way home from the bank. He was robbed of his keys. Later was discovered in a semi-conscious state by another passenger. He was only able to state that he had been assaulted, and his keys taken. The manager was removed to a hospital, where he died the following day. After the assault, an attempt was made to rob the bank, where there was £5OOO in the safe, but the robbers were not successful, as two keys were required to open it. The rule of the Bank is that one key is to be carried by the Alan: ger, and the other by another officer. The bank was open for depositors on Friday night, and apparently the criminals watched the officials close the premises about ten ’clock. They followed Kemmis to the train. Their plans for the robbing have evidently been maturing for some time, as a few days ago Kemmis’s house, at Wahoongra, was burgled, and a bunch of keys was stolen, but owing to the number of suburban robberies lately, the significance of the theft was not apparent. The police discovered a heavy blacksmith’s hammer near the railway station at Wahroonga, which apparently was used on Kemmis.