THE BRUNSWICK BANK ROBBERY.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 4715, 11 June 1883, Page 4

THE BRUNSWICK BANK ROBBERY.

■♦ LOHGMORE'S OAPIUAE. (tfelbonrne Argus.) The oircumstances surrounding tho darirg robbery that was so successfully committed at the Brunswiok branoh of the Colonial Baok of Australasia on the afternoon of Tuesday, April 17 last, are unique in their way, and the subsequent proceedings of the offender both audaoious atd remarkable. At about twelve minutes to three o'clock on tho afternoon of that day, Mr Miohael Fruucia Conriok, the manager of the Brunswick branch of the Colonial Bank, situato in the most populous part of tho Sydney road, closed tho Bank and went to the Commercial Bank, about 2CO yards distant on the othor side of" the street, for the purpose of making the necessary daily «xohaDgea of cheques, &o. Ho scoured the Bank before leaving, but on returning, in about ten minute*, found that the baok door, whioh was composed of very flimsy material, had been burst open, evidently by a man's shoulder having been forced against it, and the whole of tho cash, amounting to £711 Oi Id, stolen from the drawer under the counter, whioh had been left unlocked by Mr Conriok, who did not oonsidor it necessary to remove the money to the strong safe, as he only intended to be a few minutes absent. The Bank was cleared out, only £3 or SA in small change being left behind. Little or nothing calculated to throw light upon the affair could b» obtained, with the exgsp- | tion of a description of two suspiciouslooking characters who were seen hanging | about Brunswick during the day. The numban of the known notes, and a description of tho two Buspieiouß-looking individuals were published in the Police Oatette on April 18. It has since transpired that ono of these individuals aotually committed tho robbery. A searching investigation *-as at once instituted by the detejfcives, but no tangible evidence was obtained until about a week uftor | the robbery, when a man giving the name of Alfred Trent, and representing himself to be I a commercial traveller, living at Drummond street, Oarlton, lodged a sum of £200 at tho Bank of Victoria, Collins street, as a fixed deposit for three months. 'Iho money oonsiated cf notes of various descriptions, and included f.wo of the £10 stolen Colonial Bank notes. The -notes were identified, and on boing called upon by the manager of tho Bank of Victoria for an explanation as to how they, came into his possession, Mr Trent said that he took them in exchange for gold at Albury a few days previously from a gentleman who appeared to be going through from Melbourne to Sydney. On the following day a letter in pencil was found on the counter in the Colonial Bank, at the corner of Elizabeth and Little Colling streets— but where it came from ao one knew — signed " Alfred Trent," and explaining that he had come by the notes lodged at the Bank of Viotoria in the way of exchange at Albary. .A warrant was issued | for Trent's arrest by Mr Call; P.M., on April 27, but the police found a difficulty for a time in coming up with him. In the meantime a man answering Trent's description cashed two of the £5 stolen notes at the Spencer street booking-oflloe, and about the same time lodged £195 in notes at the Union Bank, Collins street, and obtained a draft on the agency of the Bank in San Francisco, in the name of Henry Palmer. This occurred about a fortnight ogo, but tho fact of tho deposit having been mads was not diecovered until some time afterwards. A peculiar incident, having a slight association with tho robbery, ocourred about this time, whioh will require a brief retrospective view by way of explanation. In February a robbery was committed by two men at Sandhurst, in which some £70 was stolen. One of the offenders, named William Jones, was caught on the spot with skeleton keys in his possession, and received a sentence of 12 months' imprisonment with haid labour. The other man euoceeded in making his escape Tke matter was probably forgotten by everybody but tha offenders until a fortnight Bgo, when a man answering Trent's description in almost every detail called at the Sandhurst Gaol to see Jones, but was refused permission owing to the lateness of the hour. He left groatly dissatisfied, but returned in a few minutes with a letter for Jones, containing 30 sovereign}, in which h» [ enid he had a very good "contract," ecd as he had been much luckier than he expected, he intended to go to San Francisco, and he hoped that when Jones got out of difficulties he would follow him there. This interesting communication, which was signed " Horace Wardsdale," was at once forwarded to Inapeotor Kennedy, who turned it to good acoount, A strong chain of circumstantial evidenco was being gradually forged for the man Trent, whose lavish distribution of tho known notes was gradually removing the obstacles which tho detectives everywhere encountered in thoir search. In consequence of this and other information which made it clear that Trent, Palmer, Wardsdale, and Sweeney wore identical, Inspector Kennedy telegraphed to Mr Fosbery, of the New South Wales police, on May 14, to the effect that the offender, who had gone overland, was believed to be George Sweeney, alias James Wilson, and that ha would go to the General Post-office for letters addressed to him under the name of Horace Djzart. When Horace Dyzart, alias Trent, alias Palmer, alias Sweeney, called for the letter and telegram that were waiting for him ho was apprehended by Doteclives Wilmott and Clough, of the New South Wales police, and conveyed to the lock-up. The Union Bank draft on the San Franonco agenoj for £195 was found sewn up in the leg of kis trousers, and 43 sovereigns were found in his possession. He was identified as George Sweeney, an old Victorian and New Zealand convict, who eaoaped from cuttody at tho latter place on June 14, 1882 The sentences which Sweeney is known to have served consist of 12 months with hard labour for robbery in Melbourne in 1873, threo years for «tealing from a dwelling in Melbourne in 1875, two year** hard labour for housebreaking at Wellington, New Zealand, on April 7, 1879, and 18 months for etealicg from a dwelling in Christohurcb, on April 4, 1881. Since his escape he has been at large in Victoria.

[Sweeney, it is understood, is identical with the man Longmore, who escaped through a window of tha Ohristohurch Magistrate's Court, and was never racaptrrcd.]