ARMED HOLD-UP

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 22985, 12 March 1938, Page 10

ARMED HOLD-UP

TWO MEN WITH GUNS GREETING FOR FAMILY CRIES ATTRACT HELP ESCAPE AFTER PURSUIT [7BOM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT] , MELBOURNE, March 4 Two gunmen held up Mr. Joseph Lehrer and his family outside their home in Marriott Street, Caulfield, tonight in an attempt at robbery. Attracted by Mrs. Lehrer's screams a neighbour/ Mr. Herbert Penwill, ran out of his house, chased the gunmen and brought one of them down. The men then attacked him and escaped, leaving him'stunned on the road. When Mr. Penwill chased the bandits one of them pointed a revolver at him and pulled the trigger. Mr. Penwill heard a click as though the revolver misfired.^ Mr. Lehrer, a manufacturing furrier, in business in Little Collins Street, had left his takings, £2OO, in a safe deposit and had only £p with him. Apparently the gunmen waited for him to come home, thinking ho would be carrying a large sum of money. Hidden in Garden One of the men was hidden in the garden at Mr. Lehrer's home and the other in the front garden of an adjoining house. Mr. Lehrer drove home in the car with his wife and 11-year-old twin sons, Harry and Reuben. As he swung the car across the footpath to enter the driveway of his house Harry got out to open the gates. One gunman approached from the next door garden and leapt on to the running board beside Mr. Lehrer. His accomplice came out through the gates that Harry had opened and went to the other side of the car where Mrs. Lehrer was sitting. Gun Pressed at Head "An automatic pistol was pressed against my said Mr. Lehrer. "By this time Mrs. Lehrer, with a revolver against her head, and the hoys began to scream and call 'Police.' The noise attracted Mr. Penwill, who lives opposite. When I saw him running across the road toward my car I thought it was a hold-up man and in the excitement put my arm across the steering wheel and set the horn blowing. This must have scared the bandits for, they ran along Marriott Street into Webb Street with Mr. Penwill chasing them. "He overtook one of the gunmen in Webb Street, and probably would have held had not the other gone to his companion's aid After they had attacked Mr. Penwill the robbers set off again along Webb Street."