HIGHWAY ROBBERY.

Marlborough Express, Volume XLIV, Issue 77, 7 April 1910, Page 6

HIGHWAY ROBBERY.

THE CASE NEAR FOXTON

WAS IT POWELKA?

(N.Z. Times Correspondent.)

PALMERSTON. April 4. A highway robbery was perpetrated on the Foxton line on Saturday evening just outside the borough boundary, and general appearances suggest that Joseph Powlka, the prison breaker, was the robber. Mr and Mrs J. Kendall, who reside in a cottage about two furlongs this side of Awapuni, standing in an isolated position, were returning from their Saturday night excursion to town. On nearing home Mr Kendall noticed outside the gate a sack lying under a willow tree. It was bulky, and he invesigated the contents. The first article that met his gaze was his wires best tablecloth. Then came to •light a piece of bacon, followed by a fowl which had been prepared for Sunday's dinner. Near by was a small leather bag, and his contained" a bottle of Mrs Kendall's pickles and a large cake. On entering their house Mr and Mrs Kendall found that the whole house was in complete disorder, and it was apparent that some uninvited guest had paid a visit and was searching for money. He had rinoed open boxes and thrown their contents all over the floor, ransacked clothes and turned the place generally upside down.

The visitor had forced the small dairy open, and consumed Mrs Kendall's cream in hearty fashion. A loaf of bread Had been attacked, and the remaining pieces showed that it had

been simply torn to pieces and devoured, and the hungry one had made an ample meal on bread, pickles and cream!

Mr Kendall was under the impression that he had received a visit from a couple of boys who were said to have escaped from the Weraroa training farm, and accordingly went out on to the road to investigate. He found no traces of. anyone, and returned inside. Then . his wife suddenly remembered she had left the candle on the gate post, and sent hfm out to get it. On reaching the gate, which is at the side of the house, and some distance from the road, Mr Kendall noticed a man coming towards the house from Foxton line. The visitor did not see the owner of the house for some time, and came along at ordinary pace. Mr Kendall said to himself: "Here comes Joe Powelka for a feed!" He knew Powelka well, having worked with him at the abattoirs for a long time. When he saw Mr Kendall at the gate the man crouched down and then turned and faced him. He had a revolver in each hand, and he said: "Your money, you ! It's your money I want!" Mr Kendall replied that he had no money, and the man with the revolvers became more threatening.

"You think I'm playing with you, do you?" he said in a hissing tone, which is a peculiarity of Powelka's utterance. "You don't think they're loaded, eh?" And with that he commenced to flourish his weapons in front of his victim's eyes. Then he playfully stroked Kendall's cheeks with the cold steel.

"I was always under the impression that X suffered from heart disease," says Mr Kendall, "but I'm saitsfied now I don't, because I didn't drop dead!"

Mr Kendall, thinking matters somewhat more serious than he had anticipated, began now to turn out his pockets. He produced a shilling, and handed it over. His wife, hearing the conversation, came out and then their visitor transferred his attentions to her. He demanded her purse, with, dreadful threats, and she immediately returned to the house and produced a little black bag. As the robber had already been through that particular bag and found nothing in it he became furious, and made more violent threats.

"You think these are not loaded, do you?" he said again, and holding one of the revolvers within a foot of the woman's head, he fired. The bullet went so close to her head that Mrs Kendall could feel it brushing past her cheek. She fainted.

At this juncture, assistance came in an unexpected fashion. The flashing of a bicycle lamp some distance away was seen by the robber, who seemed to think it was time to get. He therefore crouched down, and crept along the fence, got into the drain that runs between the old and the new road, and disappeared. Mr Kendall, thinking his wife was hurt, called to the cyclist, who came in. He immediately went for assistance to the neighbours, and then rode up to inform the police of the circumstances.

Asked about tlie general appearance of his visitor Mr Kendall said that for some time he did not notice what he was wearing. He was too busy studying the guns. However, when he had more leisure he saw that Powelka (he feels certain it was Powelka) had, a mask made of black cloth drawn over his eyes, and covering the upper half of his face. The lower half was covered by a neckerchief, so that.'the man's features were

unrecognisable. He wore a cap and an old grey overcoat, and had a broad belt round his waist.

"I only lost six shillings, altogether," said the victim of the raid, "but my wife's black silk blouse was torn to pieces and it was part of that which was round Powelka's head for a mask."

Mr Kendall, in reply to another question, stated that Powelka knew very well that he got paid on a Saturday night, for when they had worked together at the abattoirs, they had often broken their cheques together on a Saturday in town.