SHOT IN BANK

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22612, 28 December 1936, Page 8

SHOT IN BANK

A YOUTH KILLED ALLEGED DISPUTE REVOLVER FIRED SENSATION IN SOUTH [by TKT,EGItAPH —PRKSS ASSOCIATIONI IN VERCA ROILL, Sunday An altercation early this morning involving two bank clerks sleeping on the premises of the Bank of New Zealand in Tay Street and four young men whom they admitted to the premises ended in orre of the visitors being fatally wounded by a revolver shot. The dead youth is Michael Fletcher, aged 19, a storeman. He was employed by Woolworths, Limited, and lived with his parents at 93 Biggar Street, Invercargill. Fletcher was one of a party of four who, seeing a light in the bank in the early hours of the morning, rang the doorbell. They were admitted by one of the two clerks on duty and taken to the clerks' living quarters, although it is understood that the visitors were not known to the clerks. An Excited Argument After the six men had been together for about two hours, during which it is stated several attempts were made to induce the visitors to leave, an excited argument arose, in which one of the party is stated to have fired three shots at. Fletcher with a revolver, shooting him through the body. There had apparently been fighting before this, because one of the bank clerks was injured about the face. Fletcher staggered from where he was shot to the door and down a path leading from the door to the side gate in Clyde Street. There he collapsed. It is not certain whether the other three visitors were in or out of the building when the shot was fired, but as soon as they missed Fletcher they began to look for him. When he was found the police were called and also a doctor, priest, and ambulance. Statements to Police The first policeman on the scene was Constable Summers. He found Fletcher deeply unconscious and obviously gravely injured. He was hurried to the hospital by ambulance and died either on the way or immediately after his admission. The other five men were taken to the police station and gave their statements regarding the shooting. Three of these who were visitors to the bank will be charged in the Magistrate's Court tomorrow morning with being illegally on bank premises. No other charge has yet been laid against any of tho party. The Inquest Adjourned

Detective-Sergeant Thompson was called to the bank shortly after the shooting occurred, and he took charge of the investigation. The inquest was opened this morning before Mr. W. H. Freeman, coroner, and was adjourned sine die after evidence of identification had been taken.

It is the standard practice of banks to keep revolvers for use in time of emergency by employees sleeping on the premises and it was with 0110 of these that the fatal shot was fired.