BANK HELD UP.

Timaru Herald, Volume XIIC, Issue 13608, 30 May 1908, Page 3

BANK HELD UP.

CAI'JUKI-; IN A WOOD. An amazing atl<"Hipt- to "hold up" a Scotch bank was made on April 10th by three annul foreigners in broad daylight. Two of the men were captured after a desperate chase and struggle, in which icvolvrrs :iif -.aid to have been discharged. no one. luckily, being idiot. The affair, which reads like a from the "Wild Wot." look place at tin.* offices of tjie I'oyal Bank of Scotland, at .Motherwell, twelve miles from Glasgow, in tlit? afternoon. The batik stand:-' in the centre of iiie town, ;> nd while it was open in I lie afternoon three men "lit nd and went up to the counter. Thti only one of th<clerks ill the b.mk ai the time wa.-i Mr ■John K. Ferguv.n. While one of the tin n asked him a •|ties(toii aboul banking matteis another drew ;i revolver anil pointed i(. at him.

With [duck and -MiFerguson tiie revolver, which was thrust nearly into his face, and ai the same time he jumped over the counter and closed with the man. Mr Ferguson shout,d for help to the manager of I ho bank. .Mr King, who was in an adjoining room. At, once -Mr King dashed out, i<> the assistance of his colleague. 'L hen began a struggle which lasted for some minutes. The other t«i> men, seeing tlnib their plot

to hold up the bank hud failed, boiled, leitving their fellow-robber to hits face. He fought desperately with Mr King and Mr Ferguson. The former (lied to wrest the revolver away. I While tho .struggle way on weapon went* off, but fortunately the bullet lodged in the furniture of the bank, and did 110 injury. • Ultimately the man - wrenched him.-elf free from .his captiniv 'and rushed out of the bank, leaving Mr King and Mr: Ferguson bruised and bleeding; By thin the noise of the struggle and the firing "of a shot had attracted the attontion of some youths in the fctreet. They raised the alarm and the police eunie on the scene. Now began an exciting chase. Police aud boys rushed after the desperado, but he managed tx> evade them. But the chase was kept up, and about half an hour afterwards the two men who had bolted iiiVjt were run to. ground by .some lads in y. wood some distance from Motherwell. Their pursuer- 1 ? were fortunate enough to find two policemen passing, who were taking another prisoner. These came to the assistance of the boys, and the two men were captured after a fierce struggle. On»- of the men, it is alleged, fin-u at tho police but misled. The "two men taken gave their names :t s Paul Suiiih and Ludovie Bruno. They are both Poles, many of whom work in .the Lanarshkire coal mines. The raid was arranged for a time when ilie bank has a large stock of specie 011 hand ready for the wages paid to the thousands of men employed round about.