ROBBER SHOT

Southland Times, Issue 21560, 25 November 1931, Page 7

ROBBER SHOT

AUCKLAND SENSATION

BANK MANAGER ATTACKED USES REVOLVER ON ASSAILANT (Per United Press Association.) Auckland, November 24. A young tnan whose identity is at present unknown was shot dead at Remuera shortly after noon to-day after he had attacked Mr F. W. T. Youngs, agency officer at the Remuera branch of the Bank of New Zealand with a sandbag. Although dazed and injured from a heavy blow on the head, Mr Youngs grabbed a revolver and fired it at his assailant. The latter bolted out of the bank and calling “stop thief” the manager followed. On reaching the bank door he fired again. The pursued man crumpled up on the footpath and he died within a minute.

There were a number of people in the vicinity of the bank at the time. They heard the shots and saw a man lying on the footpath. The whole thing had happened with dramatic suddenness. One of the few persons who saw the robber fall was Mr A. Watson, a shoemaker whose shop is almost opposite the scene of the shooting.

“I was in my workshop at the rear of the shop when I heard a report,” he said. “I knew it was not the noise of a tyre blowing out and I rushed to the shop. As I came from behind the counter to a position where I could sec across to the other side of the road, I saw Mr Youngs leaning against the entrance to the bank. I saw the manager fire another shot which narrowly missed a woman and then the robber, who had been staggering, collapsed in a heap. I ran across to Mr Youngs. He was as white as a sheet and had a smoking revolver in his hand,” continued Watson.

“I told him to sit down while I put a phone call through to the head office of the bank, but he remained leaning on the counter. At this time Dr McGregor Grant, who had been standing speaking to the postmaster on the other side of the street, came across and took the revolver from Mr Youngs.” During the time between the shooting and the arrival of the police Mr Youngs, although suffering from the effects of a blow on the head, told his story to Watson.

“This man had been in here before,” Youngs said. “He came in a few minutes ago and I went to the counter. The man handed me a letter and said: ‘Read this.’ I took the letter and as I had my head down reading it, holding it with my two hands, the man hit me over the head. Although I was badly dazed I pretended to be all out and sank below the counter, but I had the presence of mind to grab a loaded revolver which I always keep on a shelf behind the counter. When the man saw the revolver he made to run out of the bank, and I shot him in the back.” Watson said that he noticed that the letter which the robber had given Youngs to read was still lying on the bank counter. It was covered with dirt, indicating that the heavy bag with which the robber had .'sought to stun Youngs had broken through the force of the impact.

It has been ascertained that the dead man called at the bank one day last week when he inquired about a bank draft and said that he was expecting one from Montreal. This morning on going into the bank, he handed Youngs a document bearing a signature. When the latter leaned over to read it he was struck on the head. At the time there was about £3OO or £4OO in cash and notes on the table. When st nick, Youngs reeled backwards and immediately grasped a loaded revolver that was handy. Evidently the man realized at that moment that the attempted hold up had failed, and he turned and tried to get away. The dead man was a stranger in Remuera. He was apparently about 28 years of age and was comparatively well dressed. The police searched his clothing and all they found was a tin of tobacco, cigarette papers, a watch and chain, and a small mirror, but no letters or papers of any kind. One Bullet in Body. The object with which Youngs was struck was a lead-backed brush or bottle, and sand was thrown in his face. Youngs says the young man entered and handed him a letter. Youngs placed the letter on the counter and started to read it when the man raised a long-shaped parcel and struck Youngs on the head, the banker being stunned. When Youngs recovered he saw the man go to the doer of the bank chamber and shut it, then coming hack to the counter the man went straight toward Youngs who drew his revolver. The man drojiped, but Youngs fired over the counter. “I don’t know how many times I fired, it was all rather confused,” said Youngs. Only one bullet was found in the body and another lodged in the door so apparently Youngs’ first shot was fatal. Still Unidentified. Evidence has been secured that Youngs’ assailant was waiting alone in the neighbourhood of the bank from an early hour this morning. The son of a shopkeeper near the bank says the man was walking up and down outside the shop all the morning. He was carrying a parcel. Others saw him idling in the street. It is only a few months since Y’oungs was appointed agency officer for the bank at Remuera. He is an Englishman and from 1900 to 1927 was in the London office of the bank. He arrived in New Zealand four years ago, being stationed in the Auckland office. He had no assistant in the branch. Youngs is over 50 years of age. Following the clue of a laundry mark on the collar of the dead robber, detectives were led to a laundry in Dominion road. From there they were referred to a receiving depot at a hairdresser's shop in Park road. The occupier of the shop, R. McGregor, was taken to the morgue and he identified the body as that of a customer whose hair he had cut on occasions and who left his laundry at his shop. He understood his name was Coulton or Colton and that he lived in a boardinghouse or apartpient house in Grafton road. The detectives thoroughly combed the Grafton road area in an endeavour to find the house in which a man named Coulton had been staying. They were not successful, but it is thought something definite will be heard in the morning. The inquest on the dead man will be opened, and it is expected evidence of identification of him will be forthcoming.