ARMED THIEVES.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20796, 15 August 1929, Page 15

ARMED THIEVES.

. AUSTRALIAN EPIDEMIC. ... REMARKABLE CRIME WAVE. (From Due Own Coerespondent.) SYDNEY, August 8. The operation of armed thieves continue to a remarkable degree in Sydney and Melbourne. Those armed robberies began in Melbourne, and such is the psychology of the criminal that it was not long before they spread to Sydney. Australia's criminal history is a record of crime that has come in waves. One poisoning case has invariably led to a series of similar cases. One assault on a girl is invariably followed by a number of such assaults, and so on right through the criminal calendar. So detectives were not surprised at the turn of events, but the public arc perturbed at their inability to make a capture. The detectives say that when they do make a capture this class of crime will cease. Anyhow the public would like to see at least one capture in order to be satisfied that the position has not got out of Again, the detectives assert that it is not a gang that is operating. They say that this class of criminal prefers to work alone, for the chances of capture are not so great. The public would like to be convinced on this point also. It is of little satisfaction to known that the Australian criminal is not of the murderous type known to Chicago. They do not shoot to kill, according to the police, but a man who has a revolver pressed into his ribs, or held up before him, will not take any risks. So it cannot be said that the police statements on the situation are very satisfying. Sydney had at least two cases of armed holdups during the week-end. In one instance three masked men entered the home of a promirnent bookmaker, and forced him to hand over all he had in the house—about £7B—and they were probably disappointed that his return for the day should have been so small. The police were quickly on the scene, hut they have not made any arrest. Then on Monday night, in the same., locality, another man was held up at the point of the revolver, and made to hand over all he had. Again the police made no arrest, and it was probably, because they were so disgusted with themselves that they withheld from the press particulars of this crime. Within an hour on Saturday night a man with a revolver held up six persons , at Moonee Poiids and Ascot Vale, suburbs of Melbourne. Other cases of street robberies occurred at South Melbourne and in St. Kilda road, Melbourne. On two occasions the thief fired shots into the air after, lie had threatened to shoot the persons whom lie had held up. One woman with great courage refused to give up her money, and struck the nian with her umbrella, but a man to whom she appealed for Help refused to have anything to do with the affair, and slammed the door of his house in her face. He did not want to be the hero of any shooting episode. Every avail, able member of tho Melbourne police force was engaged on the eases, and, in accordance with the policy adopted, no information wa? given to the press. The woman who showed such courage was Miss Kate Raymond, of Ascot Vale. Refusing point blank to give the man her handbag she struck him on the head. The man pressed a revolver against her chest and said: “ Hand over the money. I want it without any trouble." Miss Raymond noticed that his hand was, not steady. “.I will not give you any money,” she said, and at the same time she brought her umbrella down on „ his head. As he staggered hack she screamed for help, and she opened the. gate of a house with the inD™ of ?« tG ring. , The, jnam threatened that' if she did not stop, screaming he Would shoot her, but Miss Raymond disregarded the .warning. . The man then fired two shots in the air, over her head, and ran away. Miss Raymond went to the door of the house, and the occupier said: “I do not want to have anything to do in this case,” ami slammed the door in her face. She then rang up the police, who ware quickly on the scone. But they all went back to the .station with’ the armed man still at large, .

I*our of the other victims during the night were women, and in at least one other case the thief got nothing for his trouble, hut fired a bullet into the alias soon as he encountered the slightest opposition. It would seem that these Melbourne robbers are not very brave nor very clover, and it is amazing that they should escape detection for so long when the whole force of police is out after them, aided by wireless and by motor’ patrols. It is a bad advertise-ment-for the force. Confidence in the police of Sydney was restored to some extent at least when arrests folowed the latest hold up by &rtncd men bn Xuosdfliy night. However, the success of the police in this instance was due to tile bravery of the old man who was- chosen for the robbery, and to the bravery of bis neighbours., particularly a woman. The two masked bandits displayed amazing audacity when they entered the butcher’s shop of Michael Briggs, of Rcdfcrn. After Mr Bflggs had completed his various tasks in the shop he went upstairs to his room, and as he sat down to his tea be heard^ strange noises in another room. On making an investigation, with the aiclof a match, he very soon found him* ; self looking into, the barrel of a revolver. "Sorry, old man,” said one of the intruders, “ but we want your monev and we want it quick.” With that tjuw ■seized then- elderly victim and soon bound him tightly. “ Now where is the cash,” they asked, when they had made him helpless, ami lie leplicd tliut the only iponey lie had was,in the cash box, to which lie pointed, so obligingly. The men helped themselves to. the silver, but they were far from satisfied, and demanded to know where the notes were. They knew that the man bad not banked that dav, because it bad been a bunk holiday,’ but they did not know that he bad on bjs person more than £l5O in notes, which lie had bidden away, some in bis socks and some in the lining of his coat as soon as he was aware that there wore btrqngers .in the house. At this stage Mrs Jackson, who lived next door, heard the angry voices, and as she know that Briggs lived by himself, she commenced to make invcslmations. She slowly raised a blind olid peered into the premises that adjoined tiers. «ho at once realised what was happening. Of course, she was able to inform the police at once, and the rapidity with which the poliVo reached the scene was one of the features of the ease. Very soon the whole nei'-hbour-hood was aroused, and it was not lon« before the bandits realised that their presence had been discovered. Although the men made their escape from the shop, it was not long before they were arrested after two exciting encounters mith the police. Both ineu ere labourers meaning that they do nothing in particular, for most of the idlers who are arrested call themselves labourers— and they are described by the police as birds of passage.