CRIMINALS PLOT TO BOMB POLICE

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXI, 13 October 1926, Page 8

CRIMINALS PLOT TO BOMB POLICE

MELBOURNE DETECTIVE HEARD GANG SYDNEY, September 30. Melbourne, si ill continues as flic .Mecca of the Australian criminal, two startling stories concerning I heir operalions coming this week from the southern capital. A leakage of information from the underworld that has reached the Melbourne Criminal Investigation Branch, indicates the lengths to which the thieves and gunmen of the city will go lo "Qt even with the police.

li. is slated thai a detective on spec. ml fluty actually overheard a gang of desperate criminals plotting in destroy I wo of the police motor patrols. According to his report, they discussed several ways in which their de sbm could be accomplished, and even tlially hit on a scheme to place a time Imiiiilj under the chassis and si. wreck ihe cars. K was obvious thai they had been wiifehiug carefully the movements of ihe patrols, for ime of the men suggested that the 'bomb could be, placed under Ihe rear of the chassis when the main body of police on duty left the pal ml ear to make their usual nightly examination of suburban shopping centres. Even then, of course, the arc not left unattended, for the driver would still be at the wheel and the wireless operator at his instrument in the rear seat of the car. The operations of the night patrol in Melbourne have been attended with inordinate success, and gangs *f criminals who, before the advent of tho patrol scheme roamed the suburbs and commit led crimes practically unchecked, hayo felt the pinch since the swiftlymoving vehicles became an established fact. At any rale, special arrangements have been made for the patrols to be, inspected all over at certain limes during (he night so that the .scheme will have no> chance of success.

DAIMNfI HOLD-UP :.MEN Daring hold up men were foiled in a. brazen attempt In rob the manager <if Wright and Company's produce si ore in Commercial Uoad, I'rahran. Their raid on Ihe place was made at 11.30 p.m., when I here were. crowds about. Mill they selected thai moment when the, manager was about lo leave, the store alone. He had dismissed all fho other employees, and, with (he night's takings in liis pocket, had I timed out fho lights and was walking through Ihe darkened store. In Ihe door, when there, was a, liiiid rapping from the street. He opened Ihe front door, and three men crowded into Iho doorway. One, of them pulled cm I a revolver and propertied it at the manager's head, while the. oilier two stood as a j.lneld from the gaze of the. passers-by. "(io back," ordered the, man with fho gun, and tried lo push Carter further back into fho darkness of the store.

Hut he resisted violently and pushed (he gunman and his companions into the street. His cries also attracted a crowd, and tho three men fumed and ran into a. side street. None of the crowd attempted to' stop them, and they-made good their escape.