RAID ON A MINE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 13278, 10 September 1906, Page 6

RAID ON A MINE.

WORKMEN BOUND AND GAGGED. A raid was made recently on the battery of Hannan's Reward mine, Kalgoorlie. The story as detailed by the workmen who were victimised is of a nature that brings up recollections of tho doings of Captain Starlight and the Kelly Gang. Two or three ■men employed at the battery during the night shift were working, on the tramline, about 20ft behind tho battery, about threeo'clock, when they were suddenly surrounded by four men, who each presented a revolver. One of the party commanded the men to throw tip their arms, and, having the worst of the position, they obeyed with alacrity. While two of tho robbers kept their victims covered the other two then proceeded to securely bind and gag them, finally, after having trussed them up in a most I complete manner, laying them on- the ground and binding them securely to the tram rails. Having completed this work to their satisfaction the thieves went into the battery, where there was only one employee, the man in charge of the battery slimes. They found him near the slimes boxes, and. springing upon him unawares, soon had him at their mercy. They also bound and tied him to one of the posts of an open shed which-covers tho slimes. One of the men was then despatched for some buckets, and, when obtained, these were rapidly filled from the slime boxes, which were covered over by only a sheet of iron. Two of the boxes were emptied, and part was taken away. One of the workmen tied to the rails at length managed to free himself, and, releasing his mate, gave th» alarm to the inmates of some camps in the vicinity. The police were informed, and a black-tracker, with a couple of detectives, were quiokly on the scene. The tracks were followed to* the Boulder Block Road, near the Half-way Hotel, where they were lost on the hard surface. An investigation made at the mine showed that the thieves had taken the precaution to prevent interference by cutting' off telephone communication, severing the wires.