THE BANK ROBBERY NEAR MELBOURNE.

Colonist, Volume XXVIII, Issue 4171, 22 June 1885, Page 3

THE BANK ROBBERY NEAR MELBOURNE.

The extraordinary robbery at the National Bank, Simpson's road,shas caused considerable excitement in the city! Many various rumors are abroad as to the people having been seen about, but the most important information was furnished by the. Rev Mr Stewart, Presbyterian clergyman, who said that shortly after 10: o'clock on Wednesday morning, as he passed the Bank, he saw a cart standing at the corner of the street, not far from the gate leading into the Bank. Just a3 he approached jthree men emerged from' the -gate, each carrying a bundle, which, being thrown inta the cart, the men attempted to "elude observation by keeping their heads down. The following announcement has been issued by the Bank:—" A reward of £300 will be given for such information as shall.lead to the conviction of the three men who robbed the National Bank, or £100 on the conviction of any one of them ; and a further sum of £50 will be given for the recovery of the whole amount of the stolen money; or a proportionate amount for a lesser amount restored." An important discovery was made known to the police on Thursday 5 night, which gave the detectives a strong clue, three can vas bags were found in Studley Park, and the black trackers were sent for, but heavy rain having fallen through the; night, it was impossible to trace them. Three hours later the gardener at Kew informed the police that he had seen three men near the gully. On search being made the police were rewarded ■• by finding a knife and tobacco, also proof abundant that the men returned to town instead of going up pountry. With these clues, and a description of the men, the police on Saturday arrested Joseph Yates, £a laborer, in a house of ill; fame. Some girls were also taken. On Yates were found two five pound notes, and under the;mattrasses of the bed 5 sovereigns and 36 naif sovereigns were discovered. The man announced that if he had been caugnt yesterday they would hav^ found' more money. The police arrested two men and two women in Spring street/and at a house'iri Sandridge two habitual criminals, named McMahon and Miller, were taken, with £23 ,in gold sand £10 in notes ; also masks were found, and a horse and cart, which were identified by the Rev Mr Stewart. Another man named Dunlevy has been arrested and identified as; the man who- drove: the cart. All the prisoners were brought up at the City Court and remanded for further evidence. Spme confession has been made, as the police have unearthed part of the treasure, comprising two hundre.d pound jnotes and some silver. : THE ACCOUNTANT'S STATEMENT. Alfredßradshaw, accountant, states: I met the manager, Mr Humphries, at the Richmond branch, Bridge road, as was the cuatortr, at 9 o'clock this morning, and got £1125105, composed of 908 £1 notes, £117 10s in gold, and £100 in silver, from that office. I placedHt in a black bag. Mr Humphries and myself walked down to ihe yictbria street branch, going by the way of Separation street. On arriving at the Victoria street branch we went to' Shelley's Motel, where the keys of the premises were left, for the purpose of allowing a woman to clean the bank out. We th^wentiacrjbsstoJthebartk, and entered oy'the back gateway. No one resides on the premises. On entering the place we locked the back door after us, and then unlocked the inner door in the passage, and on entering the passage we also locked it after us. : 'We then pushed open the door leading'into the manager's room; and were at once pounced upon by three stalwart men, who were masked,' having crape over their faces, and " Viator" caps buttoned over their chins. They -called out '^Pjit I: d.own your- hands^or you're, dead, men." They covered: its' with Revolvers, and forced' me on the floor, .as alsb^ the manager,: who ,was compelled to .go under the table in obedience to the robber's directions. The manager had a revolver loaded in six chambers in his pocket, which he endeavored to use, but the thieves, perceiving his action," ;again threatened him.1: ■< He then lay on his stomach under the table! with his. hands "behind 'his back, and. jthey strapped" him at the wrists. I was, during the whole of this time, lying; on the floor, covered with a revolver. They thfen'strapped me with my hands "behind my.back. They i searched r,us for. the keys of the safe^ and) jfound them, on the manager. They then went'to the safe,-'and*took out a bag containing £50 in silver, leaving behind them one containing £70, i which they had evidently not seen.j They then came back to the manager's room, and said they were sorry! they would have to gag us, but they ; must do it for their own safety, they! put * handkerchiefs down our throats, and tied rags over our mouths. They then left by the' back door, pull-

ing it to after -them. Ac won as the robbers had gone, I r^lptl frq«a beneath, the table to the coi> ncr of the room, and with muett difficulty managed, by pressing- my shoulders against the wall, to wriggle myself into a standing position, and shuffled across the floor very slowly . to the back door, owing to my feet being strapped at the ankles. Turning my back to the handle I managed /' to raise the catch and went into tbe street. Someone passing by, noticiug my predicament, unbound me, W» then released the manager and ran to the Collingwood police-station. A quarter of an hour had elapsed since, the robbers left. The bank is a twostoried building at the corner _ of Shelley and Victoria streets, Bichmond, and contains two rooms (empty) above the two below. The, lower windows are barred, but the upper ones are without catches. At the back is a small room attached, tht roof of which reaches within four feet of one oi the other back windowi. This was opened and the door wm unlocked. There ffere marks of men'i feet on the window sill. They had been spitting on the floor of the room. Any young fellow could easily climb to the roof and enter by the window. From the top of the stairs everything going on below in the back could watched. : ■ ;: