TRAGEDY IN A BANK.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18678, 7 April 1924, Page 9

TRAGEDY IN A BANK.

BORDEN MURDER MYSTERY. CALLOUS NATURE OF CRIME. .... _______ S Australian and N.Z. Cable Association. (Reed. 5.5 p.m.)' LONDON, April 4. Further details are now to hand of the tragedy at : the Borden branch of Lloyd's Bank, where the manager, Mr. W. Hail, was found dead, having been shot in the head with a revolver. Notes and silver to the value of £1000 were missing. The outstanding feature of, the crime is the secrecy with which it was carried out. Mr. Hall had been dead for probably two hours before his body was discovered. * The police stopped the leave of the men in the adjoining military camp, but all the soldiers and their weapons'were accounted for. Four .large calibre bullets were found. Apparently the desperadoes had fired a volley through the open door of the bank building, which was a small wooden warhut. They had carefully discarded bloodstained notes. The numbers of some of the missing notes are known. The key of the main door was not found. Mr. Hall recently told the postmaster of a presentiment that something was going to happen to him. Also he told a friend that he would put up a great fight before parting with the bank's wish. Deceased was of x strikingly good physique. The thieves obviously took him completely by surprise.

Armed sentry patrols in the neighbourhood of the bank failed to hear the shots or to see anything unusual. The police believe the murder was carried out by experts, who arrived in a motor-car after banking hours. The theory is that Mr. Hall unlocked the door and admitted them and returned to the back, of the' counter. Apparently one ot the callers talked business to Hall and another suddenly whipped out a revolver and fired three shots,. which killed Hall as he stood counting treasury notes. The .murderers relocked the door as they left. Mr. Hall's loaded revolver was found untouced in the counter drawer. The bank is offering £500 reward for information leading to the arrest of the murderers. Mr. Hall's wife also had a premonition of the tragedy. She recalls that her husband, when leaving home on Thursday morning, returned and embraced ier twice. On Wednesday night she dreamed that she was at her parent's home, and everyone was weeping owing to some calamity.