SHOTS EXCHANGED

Taranaki Daily News, 29 November 1934, Page 7

SHOTS EXCHANGED

FUSILLADE BY BURGLARS ARMED MEN DISTURBED STORE AT CHRISTCHURCH OWNER RETURNS THE FIRE By Telegraph—Press Association. Christchurch, Nov. 28. Two burglars who broke into a store at Woodend were surprised by the proprietor, Mr. C. B. Bourne. They opened fire on him with a revolver, inflicting a painful wound in one hand. Mr. Bourne, accompanied by his wife, returned home from a social evening justafter two o’clock. As they entered the house, which is detached from the shop, Mr. Bourne heard noises. He armed himself with a single-barrelled shotgun. Evidently the men had been disturbed at their work and Mr. Bourne surprised them coming out a side door. He fired, and instantly one of them swung round and fired at him, but the bullet went wide. Then the’ burglar ran back to join his companion. The men jumped into a car parked nearby and sped off, firing two more shots at Mr. Bourne. It was one of these bullets that inflicted a wound in the left hand. The men gained entrance to the store by drilling through the inch planks of one door. It was evident that they had not much time to make a search for booty, and nothing was taken. Mr. Bourne when interviewed was inclined to make light of the shooting. “After I fired my first shot and I got a bullet in reply it was just like the war again,”, he said. “I blazed away until my ammunition was used up.” He said he had not fired with intent to hit the men, but up in the air to frighten them off. The.men showed amazing recklessness ir. driving past Bourne armed and ready to shoot when they made their escape. As the car fled past him with one of the men leaning out of a window firing, Mr. Bourne pluckily held his ground and returned the fire, hoping to. puncture the car’s tyres and thus stop it.