ROBBERS RETURN PAPERS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 20115, 28 November 1928, Page 12

ROBBERS RETURN PAPERS

THE WESTFIELD SENSATION

PACKAGE POSTED IN CITY.

' ORDEAL OF MOTOR PARTY.

STOLEN PROPERTY RECOVERED.

MONEY CLEVERLY CONCEALED.

Squads of detectives and special police officers aro searching for the two desperafo men who boldly perpetrated tho thrilling motor-car hold up on tho Great South Road, near Westfield, early yesterday morning. After committing robbery undor arms and stealing their victims' limousine car, they fired two revolver shots at three courageous young men who dashed after them in a motor-cycle and side-chair, frustrating their attempt at capturo by ripping open a tyro with a well-aimed bullet. Every polico station north and south of Auckland has been notified of the sensation in tho hope that somo clue will bo picked up and lead to tho capture of the robbers. So far no traco of the wanted men has been found.

Bearing a typewritten address, a packngo containing personal papers which had been stolen from him in tho hold-up, was recoived by Mr. Samuel Henderson, of Panmuro Road, Kllerslie, lato yesterday afternoon. Tho polico have the parcel and aro investigating. Although tho address was typed, tho word Panmuro, which had first been typed as tho district in which Mr. Henderson lived, was scratched out and tho word Kllerslie had been substituted in ink. Tho parcel was posted in Auckland yesterday morning. Barricade Across Eoad. Masked with black cloths, which completely covorod their faces, their eyes only showing through slits, the two men jumped on to tho running board of Mr. Henderson's car at ono o'clock, just as ho was slowing down because of an obstruction on tho road. With him was his wife, Mrs. Henderson, and Messrs. George Holland, Eric Manson and Leonard Manson, jockeys. Thoy had been travelling for somo hours, returning to their homes in Ellerslio after a successful day at tho Te Kuili races.

When approaching tho narrow deviation opposite tho Westficld freezing works, caused by tho construction of the new concrete bridge crossing the main railway lino, Mr. Henderson noticed a barricade. It consisted of two kerosene tins upended on each sido of tho road. Across the tins was stretched a length of timber, surmounted by a hurricane lamp, which had been taken from a lino of warning lights rear tho deviation. Halted by tho obstruction, the driver pulled up. Threatened With Revolvers. Running from tho shadows of tho arches of tho bridge, tho robbers threatened tho motorists with revolvers. Tho muzzle of ono gun was pressed under tho armpit of Mr. Henderson and tho other against tho temple of Mr. Holland, who was sitting with tho driver. Aroused from a doze in the rear of the car, Mrs. Henderson becamo frightened. "Tiiko all wo havo but do not shoot us," she cried. "Wo havo three kiddies at home." But tho robbers wero curt. Speaking with an unmistakable American accent, tho leader, a tall, slimly-built man, replied: "We do not want your monoy. We want your car," He was still on tho running board of the car, his masked face framed in tho open window. Holding his revolver still at Mr. Henderson, ho ordered' him to negotiate the obstruction and drive the car through tho deviation. "Now stop," he said, as, with revolvers covering the victims, ho and his confederate ordered them on to the road. Forced to Take off Coats. Stepping back into the roadway as tho car doors were flung open, the man with tho American voico watched them all get out oxcept Air. Leonard Manson, who was asleep in the back of tho car. Directing tho men to tako off their coats and vests, lie watched the clothing being tossed into tho car they had vacated. As tho last coat was thrown to tho floor of the car, lie spoke to Mrs. Henderson, saying; "And throw in your bag." Lined up behind tho car tho victims flaw tho robbers discover Mr. Manson slumbering in tho back of tho car. When rudely awakened by being roughly shaken ho looked at tho man and said; "You big Yankee mug." Ho was quickly hustled into lino with tho rest, a revolver boing flourished at him. Surveying tho five surprised people for tho last tiino both men swung on their hoels, slammed tho back door of tho car and seatod themselves in tho front seat. "What aro you going to do with our car?" they wore asked by the party, as tho engine began to run. Hot Pursigt Bogun. f "Oh," annwered tho man with the American accent, "wo will leave it about a couple of miles down tho road." Racing tho engine, they roared-up out of the deviation and disappeared into the night nt a nigh ruto of speed. Left stranded in a deserted roadway tho party wulched their car vanish with their clothing, valuables and over £IOO in cash. For it was then that it was revealed that before they had left tho car Mr. Eric Manson and Mi. Holland had cleverly secreted some rolls ot banknotes under tin seat of the

Hardly had the powerful car swept out of sight beforo there came speeding ( | own tha road a high-powered motor-cycle driven by Mr. Percy Fletcher, of Matai Street, Lllerslie, accompanied hv his brother, Mr Henry Fletcher on the pillion, and Mr. Douglas Wallace, Railway ■Street, Newmarket, in the side-chair. Standing in the ghiro of tho brilliant headlight of the oncoming cycle, tho men waving in their shirt-sleeves, signalled tho cycle to slop. Unhesitatingly" the three young men set off in hot pursuit when informed of what had occurred. Shot Fired at Motor-cyclo. Cresting Penrose Ilill at reckless speed tho throe men could dimly discern two cars ahead. By tho brillianco of the headlight of tho machine they saw one car was Stationary and the other moving slowly toward town without lights. "As wo got our headlight flashing on tho cars wo saw a man jump from the stationary car to tho running board of tho moving car," said Mr. Wallace later. 'Musi at that moment our lamps picked up what wo first thought was glass sprinkled along tho road; but wo subsequently found out it was tacks, threequarters of an inch long. They formod a carpet behind tho stationary car."

Racing past tho abandoned car, which jirovod to bo that of Mr. Hcndersnu tho threo men caught sight of the fugitives 150 yds ahead, endeavouring to increase their speed. "We raced our machine and tried to got close enough to see the num. Bar-plato of tho car in front, but ju-it

as we were 50yds behind the car, cutting down the distance steadily, a man climbed out on to the running board, and swinging one arm freo, ho levelled his revolver at us. But wo did not falter. Then he fired. Wo saw the flame spurt out and simultaneously with the report our tyre on the side-chair blew out. It was ripped to ribbons. Then wo lost speed. The car dashed ahead, and as it went over Penrose Bridge its lights were switched on. Wo could follow the lights along (he Great South Road toward the terminus. It was travelling at SO to 60 miles an hour."

Describing the manner in which the robbers approached their car as it slowed down at tho barricade, Mrs. Henderson said: I did not know what it was all about, it happened so suddenly. I was dozing. In a second I was wide awake, only to find tho faces of two masked men at the windows of tho car. They thrust their heads into tho car and pressed tho guns against my husband and Mr. Holland. I thought they were going to shoot us, especially when they lined us up. Abandoned on tho sido of the road, tho car belonging to tho party was later found. Detectives aro satisfied that the robbern were thwarted in a carefully laid plan by the daring of tho young men. No doubt tho motor-cyclists disturbed them in the act of rifling the stolen car and clothing on tho roadside. It is believed that one man had been detailed to ransack the car while his partner sat at the wheel of a waiting motor-car, to which thoy had driven after leaving their victims. The police believo tho robbers' car was probably another stolen vehicle, loft ready at tlio spot wliero 'he cyclists first saw two cars on tho road. While ono of tho men was engaged in starting-up the waiting motor his confederate's duty would have been to search for money. They would have then loft Mr. Henderson's car undamaged on tho roadside and raced away in ail unknown car. It was only tho timely appearance of tho tlireo young men that caused them to fail in tho former intention and the firing of tho shot and tho bursting of a tyro on the motor-cycle that enabled them to succeed in tho latter. All tho articles and money were found :n the car by tho party, tho robbers having secured only a few valueless papers, which thoy returned yesterday afternoon by post. Tho bank notes secreted under the seat of Mr. Henderson's car wcro intact.