DARING ROBBER

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22345, 17 February 1936, Page 10

DARING ROBBER

HOTEL ACQUAINTANCE r VICTIM TAKEN ON TAXI TRIP POCKETS RIFLED AT BEACH r ASSAILANT ESCAPES IN BUS [by telegraph OWN correspondent] HASTINGS, Sunday A daring daylight robbery accompanied by assault took place on the Napier-Hastings road yesterday afternoon, the victim being Mr. H. Mcintosh, from whose pockets the sum of £8 was stolen. Extraordinary.daring was displayed by his assailant in the commission of the crime. It is understood that Mr. Mcintosh, while in the bar of a Napier hotel yesterday afternoon, was approached by a stranger, who told him he had been informed that Mr. Mcintosh was going to Hastings. The man said he also was going to Hastings, and he suggested that they should make the journey together. A taxi was hired, and the two men set out shortly after five o'clock for Hastings. When in the vicinity of Awatoto, however, they stopped the car and walked over to the beach, leaving the taxi-driver in the car. * It is alleged that while they were on j the beach the second man closed with | Mr. Mcintosh and pinned him face j downward on the shingle while he went through his pockets. Having removed ! about £B, consisting mainly of notes, i the man ran along the beach for a dis- { tanco and then approached the road, ' where he halted a railway bus travelling i from Hastings to Napier. ' In the meantime Mr. Mcintosh rejoined the taxi and informed the driver I of what had happened. The taxi-driver drove toward the bus with the object i of stopping the man, but the latter, as ! the car drew level with the bus, in- ! formed the bus-driver that the men in the taxi did not require him to stop, | and accordingly the bus continued to ! Napier. Having telephoned the police at ; Napier, the taxi-driver followed the bus | and passed it. Apparently the man in ! the bus refused to take a seat during : the journey to Napier, preferring in- ! stead to stand near the door. No doubt ! expecting the bus to be met at Napier, ! he instructed the driver to stop at a ! street some distance from the terminus, i and alighting at that point he made off | down the street. The taxi, which had I doubled on its tracks, gave chase, but | the man disappeared and made good his I escape.