HIGHWAY ROBBERY

Otago Witness, Issue 3899, 4 December 1928, Page 27

HIGHWAY ROBBERY

MASKED BANDITS HOLD UP CAR. OCCUPANTS THREATENED WITH REVOLVERS. AUCKLAND, November 27. The police are combing the city to-day in quest of two desperate men who held up a motor car at the point of revolvers early this morning on the Great South road, near the Westfield Freezing Works. Two bandits, who wore black masks, ambushed a party of well-known Auckland jockeys returning after a successful day at the Te Kuiti races. Two kerosene tins were upended on each side of the road as supports for a length 'of timber, in the centre of which was set a hurricane lamp removed from some excavation works nearby. Sam Henderson, of Ellerslie drove up in a Sedan car in» which were his wife and Messrs George Holland, Eric Manso., and Len Manson. Stopped by the obstruction the car came to a standstill, and immediately the masked bandits leaped on to the running boards flourishing revolvers. The cold steel of one gun was pressed against Mr Holland’s temple, and the stubby barrel of another revolver was pressed uncomfortably into Mr Henderson’s ribs. The men were forced to discard their coats and waistcoats and leave them in the car, and Mrs Henderson had to fling her bag in after the garments. After turning the occupants out on to the road the bandits drove off in Henderson’s car. They were chased by three men on a motor cycle and sidechair. The hold-up men were disturbed in the act of rifling the clothes and car about a mile down the road. Without collecting any of the booty from the stolen car, they dashed away i' a second car with the motor cycle roaring hard on their heels. One of the bandits fired at the- pursuers who were unable to overtake the ear owing to a punctured tyre. All the valuables which the motorists surrendered at the point of the revolver were recovered. MRS HENDERSON’S STORY. Telling her story this morning, Mrs Henderson said she was dozing in the back of the car when two men appeared. “ I didn’t quite know what it was all about, as everything happened so suddenly. After a few seconds I was wide awake, and when I saw the revolvers 1 was afraid we were going to be killed. Mr Holland was sitting in front of the car next to my husband. We were bowling along towards Auckland at a com fortable speed, and Len Manson was fast asleep. Eric Manson and myself were dozing. We were all tired after a good -day at the Te Kuiti races I felt that car stop, and opened my eyes to see what was the trouble, and the first thing I saw was the face of a masked man framed in the open window by my husband’s elbow. “ The man stuck the muzzle of a flat short revolver into my husband’s side below the armpit. Another man, also masked, jumped on to the running board of the car. He stuck his revolver through the half-open window and placed the barrel against Mr Holland’s head. It was then that I asked them not to ’ shoot us. ‘Take all we’ve got.’ I said te the men, ‘ but for the Lord’s sake don’t . shoot us. We’ve got three kiddies at home.’ “The men ordered us out of the car, telling us that they did not want our money. ‘ It’s the car we want,’ they told us. Before making us get out they made my husband drive the car . past the obstruction a little distance along the road to a gateway. We got out, all except Len Manson, who was asleep, and the two men made my ■ husband and Mr Holland take off their coats and waistcoats, which were thrown into the car. I had to throw my hand- • bag, containing about 30s, into the car. We were lined up along behind the car, and as the men kept their revolvers ■ pointed in our direction all the time I thought we were all going to be shot. 1 “ Then the men discovered Len Manson ■ in the back of car, and made him get out too. Len didn’t like it at all, , and said to one of the hold-up men ’ who was talking like an American, ‘ You big Yankee mug.* I would know that

man’s voice anywhere. Both men spoke in very tense tones. “ After Manson joined us on the road behind the car the two men jumped in and drove off at high speed. As they were getting in we asked them what they were going to do with our car, and they said they would leave it about a couple of miles down the. road. Of course we didn’t believe them.” Mrs Henderson, winding up her narrative, said the whole party was left in the road watching the disappearing tail light of the car. A few minutes later the roar of a powerful motor cycle was heard on the road behind them, and, in the glare of the brilliant headlight, Messrs Henderson and Holland signalled to the rider to stop. Percy Fletcher was riding the cycle, and his brother, Henry Fletcher, was on the carrier behind. In the side-chair was Douglas Wallace. Quickly and excitedly the victims of the hold-up told their story and implored the trio of newcomers to give chase. MOTOR CYCLE IN PURSUIT. “ For a minute or two we could scarcely believe that the people in the roadway were telling us the truth,” said Douglas Wallace in recounting the story this morning. “ There was the obstruction in the roadway, however, and as some of the men were minus their coats and the whole party was very excited we realised that something was doing, and, without wasting time, the three of us cleared off after the car.” “ Did you know the men were armed ? ” asked the interviewer. “ No, I don’t think we did—not then; but it wouldn’t have made any difference anyhow. We went for our lives and chased the car to the top of Penrose Hill. Then we saw there were two cars on the roadway ahead. One was stationary and the other, which carried no lights, was moving slowly towards the town. As our big head lamp flashed on to the cars we saw a man jump from the stationary car on to the running board of the moving one.

“ Just then we saw what we took to be bits of glass strewn all over the roadway behind the stationary car, which was pulled into the side of the concrete. Later we discovered that the road had been literally sprinkled with big tacks about £in in size. As soon as we passed the stationary car I could see we were on the right track. The fugitives’ car was ahead of us by about 150 yards, travelling at top speed. We tore along hoping to get our brilliant headlight on to their number plate. “ We were about 50 yards behind the speeding car by now, and all of us were straining our eyes to get the figures on the registration plate when we saw a man on the running board dressed in dark clothes. He was not wearing a mask, but his head was covered with a dark cap. The man clung to the car with one hand and with the other he pointed a revolver at us.

“ We kept right on,” continued Wallace. ‘‘Then he let fly. We saw the flash as flame spurted from the gun and heard the report. Whether or not he hit the wheel of the side chair I can’t say. All I know is that the tyre and tube were punctured immediately. Of course, it may have been a tack or it may have been the bullet. The tyre and tube are so cut about that 1 can’t say definitely. “ As we were now running on the rim we had to slacken speed, and we felt pretty sick when we saw the car drawing away from us.” CAR AND MONEY RECOVERED. After some difficulty Mr Henderson was able to advise the Auckland police, and soon a strong force was on the scene making investigations. Mr Holland and Eric Manson were able to slip some rolls of bank notes under the seat of the car before the hold-up men made them alight. This money was found in the abandoned car, together with Mrs Henderson’s bag, which had not been rifled. There was over £lOO involved, but not a penny was obtained by the bandits, who were evidently disturbed by the pursuing motor cyclists before they had time to collect the booty from Henderson’s car. The scene of the hold-up attracted a crowd of police, pressmen, and photographers this morning, while many motorists drove out to Westfield just to see the spot where the unusual happenings took place. ANOTHER JOCKEY’S EXPERIENCE. Just, before mid-day the well-known jockey, H. Wiggins, arrived. He related an experience which he encountered while on his way back to Auckland by car from the Te Kuiti races yesterday. “ I had two others with me in my car, and when a few miles on the other side of Otahuhu about 10.39 last night, travelling at a good pace, 1 noticed what I took to be a Ford car standing on the left-hand side of the road facing Auckland,” Wiggins said. “As I approached the car I saw two men walk out on to the middle of the road. One of them ran around the car, then both stood in the middle of the road and held up their hands as a signal for me to stop. 1 was in a hurry to get home and did not stop. Probably it was iust as well after what happened at Westfield. I did not notice whether they were sked.”

The police are seeking a Morris-Cowley saloon car, which was unlawfully taken from a Green lane garage early last night, supposedly by the bandits. A SURPRISE PACKET. PERSONAL PAPERS RETURNED. AUCKLAND November 27. The package containing the personal papers stolen from him by the armed robbers was returned to Mr S. Hender-

son through the post to-day. The papers were made into a parcel and were posted in the city. The wrapping of the parcel is in the hands of the police. Only one word was written in the address on the package, the remainder being typed.

Up to a late hour the police had not made any arrest.