STICKING UP A BANK.

Otago Witness, Issue 2319, 11 August 1898, Page 13

STICKING UP A BANK.

AN AKREST MADE.

Melbourne, August 6,

Just before closing hour yesterday a man drove up to the branch of the Bank of Victoria at Penshurst, a township about 169 miles from Melbourne, at the junction of the Hamilton-Dunkeld-Warrnambool railways, entered the premises, and covered the manager (Mr Jamieson) with a revolver. He gagged and bound him, and then secured the keys of the strong room, obtaining over £600 in notes and gold. The robber got away. The robbery was discovered by an employee of the post office looking through the window of the bank and seeing a strange man in charge. He at once went and informed the police. In the meantime another man saw the robber leaving the bank, but the latter threatened him with his revolver. The telegraph wires on both sides of the town had been cut previous to the robbery.

A man giving the name of John Ryan, and tallying with the description of the robber, was arrested at Ararat. A revolver and a number of cartridges were found in his possession, also a bag containing £588 in gold aivt silver and £74 in notes which had been thrown from a railway carriage window just before the arrival of the train.

August 6,

The man Ryan, arrested in connection with the Penshurst bank robbery, has been identified as James Slattery, at one time a prominent figure in labour movements in the Western districts. In 1896 he was sentenced at Adelaide to three and a-half years' imprisonment for a series of clever mining scrip forgeries, but was released last month. Jamieson was in sole charge at Penshurst. The robber, pretending to showimportant documents, covered Jamieson with a revolver. He scrambled over the counter and compelled Jamieson to lie down. He then stuffed- a handkerchief in his mouth, tied his hands and legs, drew the blinds and leisurely ransacked the bank., Last week the wires on both sides of th» town were cut, evidently to test how long it touk to repair them.

Mr J. C. Miller, who was so seriously iujurc^ by falling off the North express traio, is caakic* very satisfactory progress. On cricket field, in many a test, Australian boys have got the best Of England's crack, selected men.. sund this thov'U often do again*