GRIM FIGHT AT DAWN

King Country Chronicle, Volume XXX, Issue 4810, 18 February 1936, Page 2

GRIM FIGHT AT DAWN

.—. o PROWLING NATIVE SHOT. An exciting early morning chase over railway property and through the stone crushers of the old Goch mine, at Johannesburg, South Africa, recently, culminated in a struggle between a detective sergeant and a native, in which the detective received four hatchet wounds on the head, and the native was shot through the chest. Both were sent to hospital, the detective in a serious condition. The affair began about 3 o'clock, when a woman, asleep in a room of a suburban house, felt a hand on her head. The intruder struck a match, and she saw that it was a native. She screamed, and the native bounded through the open window. The husband, Mr. A. J. Allison, was awakened by the noise, and, hastily drawing on some clothes, he ran out

}to investigate. He saw a native standing not many yards from the house, and the native asked if he was looking for the "boy" who had just run round the corner. Mr. Allison's suspicions were aroused and he summoned a police constable. As the constable approached the native bolted in the direction of the railway line, and the constable and Mr. Allison gave chase, the former blowing his police whistle as he ran. Detective Sergeant B. G. Malan, who lives in the vicinity, was awakened by the commotion and he dressed hastily, took his torch and revolver, and ran out of the house. He saw three figures in the distance, running over the railway line in the direction of the old Goch mine stone crushers, and he followed in pursuit. He outstripped Mr. Allison, and passed the constable, when the latter stumbled in a hole near the railway line, and, after running for about a quarter of a mile

the detective got to grips with the native. There was a fierce struggle, and as the native was armed with a hatchet the detective found himself at a great disadvantage. After receiving three blows in quick succession on the forehead and one on the back of the head, the detective fired at pointblank range at the native. The latter dropped, and the detective sank to the ground, exhausted. When the constable arrived a few seconds later he found the detective and the native lying close together. So fierce had been the struggle that one of Sergeant Malan's shoes had been wrenched off. Both men were taken to the hospital, where the detective was found to be suffering from a fractured skull and other wounds. The native had a bullet wound in the chest. Detective Sergeant Malan, who is 30 years old, is attached to the Crim-

inal Investigation Department for the eastern area, and is regarded as one of the most promising of the younger members of the force. The native's condition improved during the morning, and about mid-day he was removed to the gaol hospital.