BANK ROBBERY.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume L, Issue 16496, 31 July 1924, Page 5

BANK ROBBERY.

CLERK WOUNDED

A TELEPHONE TRICK

(Elec. Tel. Copyright—United Press Assn.) MELBOURNE,i July 30. By a clever ruse, -the Canterbury branch of the Commercial Bank was robbed of £SOO in single and five pound notes. When lie arrived m the morning the manager (Mr. Morgan) found the telephohe out of order, and a few minutes later a. neighboring shopkeeper told him that he was wanted by the head office on bis shop telephone. When Mr. Morgan left- to go to the telephone, the teller (W. Chit-tick) entered' the bank, and was confronted by an armed l man, who told him-not to move or.Jie-would be shot. The intruder then snatched the bank revolver from the wall and grabbed a handful of notes from a, drawer. Chittick rushed for another revolver in the manager’s’ room, and, as lie secured it, the robber closed: .with him. Chittick fired a, shot, but missed, and the man replied with two shots, wounding Chittick iii the foot and hand. The thief then escaped’through the bank door. , ' , The robbery evidently had been carefully planned, as the bank telephone wires were cut, and the manager found when he went to the shop he- was not wanted at the telephone, the accomplice having apparently rung him to decoy him from the hank, while the other must have obtained entrance to the bank in the early hours of the morning. (Received July 31. 1 p.m.) MELBOURNE, July 31. The bank robber secured £568. The telephone wires had bean cut inside the bank, apparently by someone with au intimate knowledge of the premises. After Chittock fired 1 the first shot the , intruder closed with him. A desperate struggle followed. The furniture was upset and smashed. Eventually the revolver was wrenched from the teller’s band. The man fired two shots, wounding Chittock in the left band and left foot; compelling' him to. release his hold. The robber then rushed to the counter, secured the notes and' escaped over tha fence. He dropped twenty-eight single pounds, which were found later. The manager, who had gone out to try to get into telephone touch with the head: office, returned after the struggle was over. He found Chittock wounded. The police were called and came quickly to the scene, but failed to discover any clue. ' ' • • Chittock is a returned soldier. He was conveyed to hospital. His wounds are not serious. (' Neighboring shopkeepers heard Jhe shots but thought the bank employees were indulging in a little, practice. Itis evident from, the. manner in which the telephone wires were cut, and the alacrity with which the; robber seized the teller’s revolver, he had a knowledge of banking premises. j - ’ An interesting fact is that at the Commercial Bank, in the neighboring suburb of Gle-nferrie, the manager, Berriman, was killed in somewhat similar circumstances last year. > The scene of the robbery is in the' centre of business premises at Canterbury.