LONG POLICE CHASE

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXX, Issue 21561, 4 August 1933, Page 12

LONG POLICE CHASE

SHOTS FIRED AT CAR OVER FIFTY MILES COVERED SHOP AND GARAGE ROBBED' f The telephone and motor-cars were loused in a chase of more than 50 miJetf from Wcdderburn to Bcndigo, Victoria,' recently, in an effort to capture thieves -if! who broke into a'shop and stole petrol - from a garage at Wedderburn early i n the morning. Having removed the whole of a Bide!|)|f| window of Mrs. Barclay's store, tho flf thieves stole tobacco, cigarettes, shirts and hosiery. About four o'clock Mr. J. H. Shannon, the proprietor of a service v : station at Wedderburn, was awakenod by a noise and the flashing of a torch; fxy He saw a large black sedan car drawn : |§ up beside two petrol pumps. Tho locks ft had been broken and two men were % filling the tank of the car. Calling on || the men to stop, Mr. Shannon ra:a out- I side, but the men jumped into the car M and drove away, attaining a speed of m more than 50 miles an hour. Constable Bolger, of Wedderburn, Jj who was informed immediately, ob- |1 tained a car and pursued the thieves Jl for a distance of 23 miles to Bridge- Jl water in tho hope that they would run if out of petrol. In the meantime, Con- :J|| stable Bergin, of Inglewood, had been jl warned to watch for tho car. He saw it approaching and stood in tho road and motioned tho driver to stop. The gg thioves increased their speed and al- . most ran Constable Bergin down. Jumping aside, ho drew his revolver and fired two shots at the car. The second shot apparently took effect, as the car , t swerved, but speed was soon regained.,, || Having informed the police patrol at Bendigo, Constable Bergin set out in pursuit in his own car. The thieves' car drew away, however, and when Constable Bergin arrived at Bendigo after a chaeo of 30 miles he discovered «}; that the thieves had eluded himself $ and the Bendigo patrol by deviating to another road. The identification number of the car was found to be false.