AUCKLAND SENSATION

Hokitika Guardian, 27 November 1928, Page 6

AUCKLAND SENSATION

MOTOR CAR HELD UP

AT REVOLVER POINT,

(Per Press Association —By Electric

T e 1 egr apl i—Copy riglit).

AUCKLAND, Nov. 27

A sensational hold up at the point of a reolver ,and a thrilling effort at pursuit, foiled by the firing of two shots from a revolver, one of which punctured the tyre of a pursuing moior cycle and side-car, took place on the Great South Road near Westfield at one o’clock this morning.

S'. Henderson,, L. Munson, .Eric .Munson, and Mrs Henderson were m a motor ear returning from Te Kuiti rpces and were stopped by three mfcn, two of whom had revolvers and threatened to shoot. At the point of the revolvers, money, watches and other valuables were handed over. Still under cover of revolvers, the three men dashed into the motor ear belonging to the victims, and sped away. Within a minute or two, Percy Fletcher, of Ellerslie, and D. S. Wallace, of Newmarket, arrived on a motor cycle and side-car on the way from Ngaruawhia to Auckland. AVhcn they got near Westfield they" found- trees iind wood blocking the road. They managed to get through and a lew yards further on reached the three men and a woman who had, been robbed. Fletcher and Wallace set off at top speed. They had gone only three or four hundred yards when they saw two cars in front. One was wrecked and as they approached the other they saw a man leap on to the running board, and the car dashed away at a great pace with lights switched oil.

Fletcher and Wallace had given chase for a hundred yards when the man on the running board fired two shots with a revolver. One punctured the wheel of the side car, and thus crippled, further chase was impossible.

Fletcher and Wallace hastened to a nearby bouse and sent word thiough to t4ie police only a quarter of an hour after the hold-up. Shortly before 2 o’clock, a party of detectives arrived on the scene. Henderson said that .when the car was approaching a bridge near Westfield, light showed a barricade across the road. He pulled up, whereupon two men rushed out from the side of the road and jumped on the running board. Each had a revolver. The robbers ordered the party to got out of the car tolling the men to take off their coats and waistcoats, and place them in the car. “We were powerless to resist,” said Henderson. “I could not do anything because one man. stuck a revolver into mv chest.” The men forced the party to walk .some distance back, and then jumped into the ear and drove away.

Henderson said the Man.sons had a fair amount of money on them and had the presence of mind to put" it under the back seat as soon as the party were bold up.

The car was eventually found abandoned at Penrose. The police believe the robbers then got into their own car. On the south side of where Henderson’s car was found there was a wide carpet of tacks on the road. In the car were the coats and waistcoats with the pockets open and showing other signs of having been rifled. The money hidden by the two Munsons was recovered intact from under the back scat.