BRAVE BANK OFFICERS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19391, 28 July 1926, Page 14

BRAVE BANK OFFICERS.

ARMED ROBBERS FOILED.

ESCAPE IN A MOTOR-CAR. SENSATION IN IRELAND. How an attempt to rob bank officials in County Wexford, Ireland, a few weeks ago was foiled was related at an inquest on a man named Peter Lane, who was found fatally wounded in a field an hour after an attempt had been made by three armed men to hold up Messrs. Jackson and Dermison, officials of the Uorey branch of the Bank of Ireland, who were on their way to Carnew fair with a large sum of money. Lane was identified by a woman, who said he had no relations. He had been in the British army, and he once told her he had been wounded when he was with the Irregulars in Dublin. ..

Air. A. Jackson, manager of the bank, described how a man came from a ditch with a revolver in his hand, and, pointing it Straight at the witness, called on him to halt. Instead the witness increased the speed of .the car as much as ho could. The man fired in the direction of the car, and another shot camo from u by-road. Putting the car in second gear, the witness got her up the hill as quickly as he could, Neither he nor lus companion was armed.

Mr. W. A. Dennison, the other official, said that when they refused to halt the car the first armed mail called on two others on a by-road. Two of them covered the engine with revolvers and one tired immediately. Afterwards there was another shot from the raider on the other side of the . road as the car was travelling very slowly up the hill. . The witness got out and ran on in front, as he had the money on his person and wanted to save it. The motor-car overtook him at the ton of the hill. John Fox, who lives near the scene of the attempted hold-up, said that after the car passed he saw three men running quickly along the road. One was in front, and lie returned, evidently having been called upon to do so by the other two. He then saw three men lifting what appeared to be a man's body across the ditch and letting it roll into the bog at the place where Lane was found. ' Mr. Cullerj State solicitor, said he Could nfit produce any further evidence to show whether Lane was shot in the cross fire which took place, or whether lie was deliberately shot by the other raiders. It was sad to think they still had such types of men in the country. The jury found that Lane's death wan caused by a bullet fired by some person or persons unknown. They added a rider expressing appreciation of the conduct of the bank manager and his assistant, and trusting that such courage would receive its proper reward.