DARING ROBBERY

Southland Times, Issue 22345, 9 June 1934, Page 5

DARING ROBBERY

’■MAN WITH GUN MONEY TAKEN FROM POST OFFICE CLERK HELD UP (Per United Press Association.) Wellington, June 8. An audacious and apparently carefully planned robbery look place at Wellington South to-day when at almost 12.30 a man walked into the Adelaide road Post Office and compelled the officer in charge to stand back at revolver point while he calmly helped himself to £5l in bank notes from the till, ’lhe money safely in his pocket, the thief quickly left the building by the front door, rushed up the street to a taxi stand about 100 yards away and telling the taximan he was in a great hurry was taken to the city as far as Manners street where he made off into a billiard saloon.

Upon entering the post office the robber engaged in conversation with the officer, Mr Percival R. Hart, for some minutes concerning a fictitious address, then suddenly jumped over the counter and produced the gun. “It was the biggest fright 1 ever had in my life,” saia Hart to-night. “1 quickly made my way backward to the back door so as to run out to the street and give the alarm, but he said sharply, 'Come back, do not move,’ pointing the revolver menacingly at me. I had no other option than to do as 1 was told and as I stood in front of the fireplace at the rear of the office he kept me carefully covered with the revolver in his right hand and with his left he opened the till and calmly and carefully helped himself to the notes that were there. In all about £5l found its way into his pocket. After he had apparently taken all he wanted, for if he had looked further he would have found about £3O more in notes, and the till was full of silver, he jumped over the count r back into the office and without saying a word disappeared through the front door.” Hart added: “I did not rush out after him for fear of what might greet me, but I made my way immediately out of the back door into Drummond street and questioned boys and men in the vicinity if they had seen a man whom I described. They replied that they had not, so I then went back to the office and rang up the police and Chief Postmaster.”

It appears that the robber ran down to the Diamond taxi stand and telling the driver he was in a hurry was driven into the town where he entered a billiard saloon.

While the actual hold up was in progress, a small boy came into the post office to buy a penny stamp, but although he apparently saw something was happening, he did not give the alarm. He was seen by the police afterward and was able to give a full description of the man, as were two taximen. No arrest has yet been made.