REVOLVER AND A GUN

Taranaki Daily News, 2 August 1930, Page 11

REVOLVER AND A GUN

MAN’S PLUCKY STAND. : ‘ EARLY MORNING'SENSATION. ■ - Fusillades of revolver shots, - interspersed with loud reports of a shotgun, startled the Gippsland township, of Rosedale, o n I the Princes Highway, 14 miles- east of Traralgon, Victoria,' recently, when armed bandits carried on a street duel with a local garage proprietor. About 15 shots were? fired by suspected shop-breakers and safe-blowers at the, garage proprietor, who pluckily replied with two shots from a breechloader. He. first disabled the thieves’ car and then fired at the men, who escaped into the bush. It is thought that one man was wounded. A strong police detachment has been sent to the sc-ene to apprehend the suspects. For some iveeks previous country towns all over Victoria had been receiving visits from criminals in a motorcar, who were breaking into shops and stores and blowing safes. Shortly bef 1 a.m. on July 10 Mr. W. H. Holloway, aged 48, garage proprietor, of Rosedale, was awakened by the noise of someone tampering with the door of the garage next to his house. Securing a sh°otgun, Mr. Holloway quietly left his house and went into the roadway. When outside his gate he saw four men in the shadows of the entrance to. his garage, the men saw Mr.: Holloway at the same time. One of 'them said, “There he is now.” The men then started to retreat to a motor-car nearby. Determined not to allow the suspects to escape so easily, Mr. Holloway raised his shotgun and cried out, “Hands up, all of you.” The four men replied with a fusillade of revolver shots. With bullet whizzing past Mr Holloway gamely stood his ground. Coolly cocking his shotgun he ignored the rapid fire from the revolvers and ’ took deliberate aim at the rear wheels of the suspects’ motor-car, blowing a.large hole in one of the tyres. Enraged at the disablement of the car, the suspects continued to fire at Mr. Holloway. According to Mr. Holloway, their aim was “disgracefully poor,” but he decided that “things were becoming far too warm” for him, so he turned his gun on them. With a shout of “Take this!” he fired the second barrel at their legs. The suspects were then about 100 yards away, and evidently some of the pellets found a mark.

One of Mr. Holloway’s attackers let out a startled cry of pain. The four men then put their revolvers in their pockets and ran for dear life along the roadway. Before Mr. Holloway had time to re-load the men had sought the safety of the bush. In the meantime Mrs. Holloway, awakened by the repeated firing, had informed the police. A constable was quickly on the -.'scene, but the suspects ha. decamped before his arrival, and had beeif lost from view in the scrub. An examination of the locality resulted in the finding of several spent revolver bullets in the doorway and gate posts of Mr. Holloway’s house. Altogether, Mr. Holloway estimated that 15°shots were fired at him. Fortunately none took effect.

The car was examined, and in it was tound a complete shop-breaking and safe-blowing equipment, including jemmies, gelignite, detonators and fuses. Tins of petrol and oil were also in the car. It .is suspected that the car, which bore 3., ;false, number plate,. had been stolen. Near the garage door was found-a flat-ended jemmy, which, had apparently been used in an endeavour to break the door lock.

Later in the morning a detachment of police was sent to the scene. Throughout the da" an organised search was made of the scrub country in the vicinity. Railway staffs along the Gippsland line were asked to keep a look-out for the suspects. As the thieves were on foot in country which must bo strange to them, and as one of them was pronably wounded, it was thought there was little chance of their evading' the police for long.