BILL SYKES AT WORK.

Marlborough Express, Volume XLIX, Issue 204, 30 August 1915, Page 8

BILL SYKES AT WORK.

ATTEMPT- AT " BURGLARY.

TWO MK'N ARRESTED

[Press Association.] ELTHAM, Aug. 30. a Hf^sational attempt at bank robbery has been discovered -\t.Jiiltham. Two men. named Samuel White and William Keith, were arrested yesterday in connection therewith. Hie premise* affected are the Bank of iNOW South Wales and C. A. Wilkinson s (universal providers). Elaborate arrangements -yore made, showing chat the."men had been working for months by a trap-door lot underneath the. buildings adjoining the bank and ;i tunnel two feet by two feet six running for a distance of forty feet underneath the strong-room of the b?nk. The men were already at work on the floor of the strong-room, tapping the concrete. Spades, a tomahawk, and other tools were found in tho tunnel. Another day and the men would have been in the strong-room. They were discovered by the bank manager a few days ago, who infoimed the police. At Wilkinson's the arrangements were still more cleverly (juried out. An iron ventilator in the .back premises was converted into a. sliding door, and a tunnel was constructed underneath the building to the office, the floor of which was elevated from the rest of the floor. A small trapdoor was constructed in the floor underneath a level, and cleverly concealed.

Wilkinson's had been missing goods for weeks past, and suspicion rested on the employees. The trap-door was discovered by the manager on Friday. He immediately investigated, and found the tunnel. A quantity of produce, a box of butter, fruit, and pickles were found in the tunnel. Goods were also found in White's house.-

Both men were residents of Eltham and considered to be respectable citizens. They were formally charged at the Magistrate'^ Court and remanded.

Detective Siddclls and Senior-Sergt. McNealy, who affected the arrest, consider it the most sensational case in their experience.