TWO MEN WITH GUNS

Star (Christchurch), Volume XLIV, Issue 386, 31 March 1932, Page 5

TWO MEN WITH GUNS

Theatre Manager Waylaid in Sydney. BOUND AND GAGGED. (Special to the “ Star.”) SYDNEY, March 20. Two men opened the Monee Ponds Picture Theatre in Melbourne last evening and robbed the safe, after they had seized the manager, stolen his keys, gagged and bound him, and taken him off in a motor-car. The thieves then returned to their victim and turned him loose, gagged and blindfolded, and with his arms still bound. The money stolen from the safe amounted to £32 17s lOd. Air H. J. W. Gyles, of Ascot Vale, is the manager of the theatre. After the performance he started to walk to his home. A man stopped him in his home street and asked him the time. A revolver was then thrust into his side,

| and another man, who was masked, and r i also armed with a revolver, crossed I from the other side of the road. They searched Air Gyles and took the keys of the theatre from his pockets. While this was being done a sedan motor-car J was driven up to the kerb beside the j I thieves, who pushed Mr Gyles into the j ; car, which was driven away immediately. , Air Gyles was securely bound hand and foot with rope, and he was gagged and blindfolded. While he was in this helpless state his pockets were rifled by his two assailants, who stole from him four £1 notes and two 10s notes, a gold cigarette lighter, and his silver wrist watch. The car was driven to near the theatre and the two armed men got out, leaving Air Gyles with the driver. After an absence of twenty minutes the two men returned and said, ” We’ve got everything.” The car was driven again to the street where the hold-up occurred. The rope around Air Gyles’ legs was cut, and he was set down near his home. Still gagged and blindfolded, he managed to loosen the cloths around his mouth and eyes and hurried to his