MELBOURNE BANK ROBBERY

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19257, 22 August 1924, Page 7

MELBOURNE BANK ROBBERY

CHARGE AGAINST CHIITOGK. THE HEARING COMMENCED. Press Association —By Telegraph—-Copyright. MELBOURNE, August 21. (Received August 21, at 9.50 p.m.) The hearing was commenced at the Police Court to-day of the charge of theft against Alfred William Chittock, arising out of the Canterbury bank robbery. Detective Clugston gave evidence that Chittock had told a story regarding the robbery which would not bear investigation. The manager of the bank repeated the facts of the robbery. He stated that Chittock had the keys of the.safe, but could not open it without others in the possession of an assistant. A doctor gave evidence that it was possible that both of Chittook’s wounds could have been inflicted in a struggle with an armed man. Previous messages, in describing the robbery, said that when the manager (Mr Morgan) arrived at the Canterbury branch of the Commercial Bank in the morning lie found that the telephone was out of order, and a few minutes later a neighbouring shopkeeper told him that ho was wanted by the head office on' the shop telephone. After Mr Morgan had left to go to the telephone a teller named Alfred William Chittock entered the bank, and stated that he was confronted by an armed roan who told him not to move or he would be shot. The intruder then snatched a bank revolver from the wall and grabbed a handful of notes from a drawer. Chittock rushed for another revolver which was in the manager’s room, and as he secured it the robber closed with him. Chittock said he fired a shot, but missed, and the man replied with two shots, wounding Chittock .n the foot and hand. The thief then escaped through the bank door. Chittock was conveyed to hospital. His wounds were not serious. The account went on to state that the robbery had evidently been carefully planned, as the bank telephone wires had been cut, and the manager found when he went to the shop that he was nob wanted on the telephone. An accomplice bad apparently rung up to decoy him from the bank, while the other must have effected an entrance to the bank in the early hours of the morning. A few 'days later Chittock was arrested and charged with the theft of £522.