BANK HOLD-UP.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLVII, Issue 15465, 9 March 1921, Page 4

BANK HOLD-UP.

ROBBER’S SHORT-LIVED SUC- /■'' cesses; .MELBOURNE, Feb. 25.—A. daring daylight robbery; took place this afternoon; at the Bank of Victoria; Fitzroy, and following a\ exciting chase by the police two armed and masked men were overpowered and arrested*and the sum of £460 in notes recovered-. ■ ! It was just before closing time, and the accountant, a clerk and two lady clerks were busily engaged at a desk/ when, on hearing a door-being closed; the accountant looked up'to find two men in overalls- with caps and masks and carrying revolvers. One called out, “Don’t stir or we’ll shoot you!” The accountant was moving back towards the private houso attached to the bank when the bigger of the-intruders pushed him- into the telephone room near by. One of the burglars said to the clSrk, “If you move I’ll shoot you.” At this stage the yoting ladies ran out of the bank • screaming, and the two robbers -hastily.' secured several bundles of notes from 'the tills and decamped. Two plain-clothes constables 1 ' shortly afterwards overpowered a man after a struggle, and - took him to the watch: house, .where-£IOO, a revolver loaded in overy chamber; and 100 -rounds of cartridges .were found on him. A second , man was chased and overpowered in a Fitzroy back yard, where ho w-as discovered with a German automatic Mau-' ser revolver. He violently resisted arrest, and with a dist inctly * American accent hurled lurid imprecations” upon his cap-tox-s. Notes to the value of £560 were found in;, his- pockets.” At tile/Fitzroy "vrutchhousc Joint Bern- lliardt (24), seaman, of Denmark, and , Paul Frederick--Frazier (23), seamen, of America; were charged with having been arfned with 'offensive weapons, with assault, and with the robbery of £460.