A DESPEEATE FIGHT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18346, 12 March 1923, Page 9

A DESPEEATE FIGHT.

POLICE AND ARMED MEN. ENCOUNTER IN SYDNEY. A desperate struggle, during which several shots were fired by both parties, took place between two armed men and two policemen outside the. Town and Country Hotel, St. Peters, early on the morning of March 2, says a Sydney paper. As a result both men and one of the policemen were injured. Their names are: — Constable Wvlie, of Newtown police station, injuries to head and lacerated lip, caused by gunshot; John Mclvor, bullet wounds in the leg and arm; and Arthur Bell, wounds in the head. It appears that several robberies from hotels in St. Peters have been reported recently. Constable Wylie, together with Constable Fearnside. were instructed to watch closely the Town and Country Hotel. Early in the night they secreted themselves opposite the hotel, and shortly after midnight they noticed two men walking toward the building in a suspicious manner. A few minutes later the men disappeared from view. On making investigations the police saw what they believed to be two men moving in the cellar. Constable Wylie leaped toward the two.men. • One of the men thereupon took deliberate cfim and fvred several shots, one striking the constable in the mouth. The men retreated to the back of the cellar and ran into the vard of the hotel. Constable Wylie, suffering great pain with the bullet embedded in his lip, pulled his revolver from the pouch and fired, the bullet taking effect in the leg of one of the men. Immediately afterwards further shots, without effect, were fired bv the fjitritives. Constable Wylie acrain fired and hit one of the men. He called upon the men to surrender. Observing the approach of Constable Fearnside the men threw down their weapons and were arrested.