MASKED MAN AT BANK

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19139, 7 October 1936, Page 13

MASKED MAN AT BANK

MANAGER’S PLUCK DEFIES INTRUDER SYDNEY, Sept. 2L A middle-aged mail, with a black handkerchief tied round the lower part of his face, ami carrying a sawn-olf giin, atteiliptcd to, rob the Northbridgfe branch of: the Brink of New South Wales, in Sailor Bay road, yesterday, but tlie manager, Mr. A. .1. Jeffrey, frightened the thief away by running for the bank revolver. The man escaped without stealing anything. Tlie attempted robbery occurred at 12.1(1 p.rii., wlien Air. Jeffrey was alone in tlie bank offices, "Just after Atr.G. C. Hardwick, the teller, left for lunch,” said Air. Jeffrey, "I was sitting behind a partition when I heard someone enter and stop at the counter. I walked towards the opening leading to the counter enclosure, and I was confronted by a mail. His eyes were barely discernible under bis hat, which was pulled low down on his forehead, and over the lower part of. his face was a mask resembling a black handkerchief. Both the mail’s elbows were resting on the counter, and he was holding what looked like a sihvn-off shotgun. Both hands were clutching tlie gun, arid the barrel was pointed straight at me. ‘‘ BANK SU.BROUNDED ’ ’ "I said, ‘What’s your game’’ and the man replied, ‘it’s all tip. You had better stand, as the place is surrounded. ’

, "All this happened in a few seconds. When I .saw the gun levelled at me and heard the threat, I jumped behind a partition and then rati quietly into.my room, still concealed bbliind a partition froth tlie man. Willi the bank’s loaded revolver in my hand I ran back to the door leading to the residence part of the bank and called to my wife that tlie bank whs beiiig held rip. " ‘(.let tlie police,’ 1 shouted to Iter. Atv wife rail out at the side entrance and told a neighbour, Air. J. Johnston, and they ran to the corner and gave the alarm. The North Sydney police wore telephoned, and when I looked in tlie bank again and tlion out in the street, tlie bandit had gone.” Henry G. lladdon, whose parents conduct a grocery store on the corner, saw the man. lladdon had been to .a garage further down Sailor Bay road, arid when he was driving back past the hank lie saw the man walking hurriedly out, of the bank. There was no mask on his fare then, and Haddon did not see any gun. At the time he was unaware of the attempted robberv.

‘‘The man walked across Hie road,” said Haddon, "to a taxi painted yellow. The driver of tlie taxi had been reading a newspaper and as the man got into tlie taxi the driver threw down the paper, and drove off in the direction of Willoughby. The man I saw leaving Ike bank was fairly well dressed, in a brown suit. He was about 33 years of age.”

Detect ivo-Sergeam s Sadler and Alackie, and Detectives Windsor and Watkins were at the bank about 1.-1 minutes after receiving the report. No arrest has been made. Residents of the locality stated that a taxi-cab had been cruising-about the vicinity for some days, and that before the bandit entered the Rank the taxi was observed being driven, along Sailor Bay road.

It, is believed that the robbery was planned to take place when the teller had gone to lunch, and Air. Jeffrey was alone in the bank. There was a large sum. of money at tne bank at the time. s