BOY BUSHRANGERS.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XLII, Issue XLII, 15 April 1922, Page 8

BOY BUSHRANGERS.

■■ . —♦ -..-._. STATEMENTS BY; ONE OF ACCUSED BY CABLE-PEESS ASSOCIATION-COPYEI6HT Jieceived April 15, 9.20 am ■■*■■■■ SYDNEY, April' 15. in connection with the boy bushranger sensation, Banks, one of the youths involved, charged with breaking and stealing from a store, in a written statement declared that one or the police firing at Maple knocked a_ cigarette from Maple's mouth Mapte thereupon declared that he intended to shoot the constable. Banks . affirmed that he did no shooting. - [A Melbourne message dated March 26 stated: Two boys, Robert Banks and-John Maple, each 16 years of age escaped from reformatory homes in Castlemaine and Royal Park At Neenm South, in Gippsland, they broke into a store and stole rifles ammunition, and goods worth £1000 and then appeared before a farmer's house in the same district early in the morning, and fired twelve shots, -the tanners daughter narrowly escaping being shot. The police followed'the boys, who took to the' bush. During the chase there a constable received a' bullet through his hat. The police, black trackers, and armed volunteer parties joined in the search. Banks was captured, but Maple escaped in the thick bush, where, although surrounded, he is making a determined stand against forty police and practically every armed man in the district. While attempting to rush Maple's position a volunteer searcher was shot and fell from bis horse, but was only slightly slightly wounded.] _. i