PLUCKY CONSTABLE

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LV, Issue 17437, 8 April 1931, Page 7

PLUCKY CONSTABLE

TACKLING AN ARMED MAN PREVENTS BUS BEING ROBBED Courage by Constable M. 'l'. McLaughlin was responsible for. the failure of an attempt to rob a motor-bus carrying 11 passengers travelling from Paxton to Cessnock. New South Wales, on the evening of March 28. When a man rushed into the centre of a hush road and presented a doublebarrelled gun at the*driver, Constable McLaughlin, who was a passenger, deeded to attempt to get round the back of the bus and disarm the man. When the man ordered all passengers to leave the «vehiele, the driver jumped down and tried to persuade him to abandon lvis attempt at robbery. The constable then took his opportunity oi leaving the juts on the other side. While a, man named Noland, who stated that lie knew the alleged bandit, also began to argue with the armed man, Constable McLaughlin was moving to a position where he could quickly be al grips with the man. The constable suddenly found that lie had been noticed, and there was a shout that if he came an inch nearer a bullet would be put through him. He attempted to reason with the man, who was not prepared to go. on' with the talk. Then the constable dived at the man’s knees, brought him crashing to the ground, wrenched the gun away from him. and placed him under arrest. While the man was being charged at the police station he collapsed and was admitted to the hospital.