PERILOUS LEAP

Hokitika Guardian, 31 August 1933, Page 8

PERILOUS LEAP

BY DESPERATE THIEVES. TWO MEN RISK THEIR LIVES. SYDNEY, August- 28. , Two thieves risked their lives' in j escaping from the Sydney police when ! they jumped from a .fast-moving m°tOTcycle. ’ 1 The western suburbs wireless patrol, in charge of four detectives, was cruising along New Canterbury Road, Hurl, stone Park, when a inotor-cyc'le and side-car, which had been stolen earlier in the day from the city, was noticed travelling in front' of. the patrol carl The driver of the stolen cycle noticed the police almost cs soon as they isaw him. He accelerated, and both machines s'oon racing along the iroad; The detectives were amazed to see the rider of" the' motor-cycle, which was travelling at about 40 miles an hour, jump from his seat arid leave his 'companion helpless in the 6ide-car. The man who made the desperate 'leap sta'ggered when his feet struck the road, but he did not fall, and ran toward some houses. The police were confident that the motor-cycle would crash, as it had been abandoned by its rider. The wireless patrol stopped, and Detective Sinclair jumped out and charted I off in chase of the fugitive. The remaining. detectives saw the motor-cycle run across, the road out of control, ana then swerve hack. The man in the sidecar suddenly climbed to the saddle of the cycle, straightened its course, anu drove rapidly away. The wireless patrol resumed-the chase. The cyclist wa s overtaken at Earlwood. He 'swerved across the road and flung himself into a clump of blackberry bushes beside the road , j The bushes broke under the men, but i the force of the impact rolled him over | them to the far side. Before the police car could he stopped he got to his feet and started running through a vacant allotment. He forced his way between the wires of the railway fence, ’an across the lines and disappeared. In the .meantime Detective '.Sinclair lad chased the first fugitive into the 'ards of some houses. He climbed over i fence 6ft. in height, and noticed the nan ho wanted. 'However, the fugitive lecame desperate at the thought of caPure. He climbed over another fence, rid then, instead off continuing straight head, he changed h's course at right ngles and climbed another fence. Deeetive Sinclair 'saw him on top of a ence, but did not' shoot at him beause he believed that' some of the ’•her police had joined him in the ?arch. The thief was seen again, hut e finally escaped ..in,. ..the darkness.