REVOLVER DUEL

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 20109, 30 March 1928, Page 7

REVOLVER DUEL

NOTORIOUS CRIMINAL’S END FINISH OF EXCITING CHASE. SI'DNEL-, March 24. The sheeting at Manly by a constable of an international criminal was one or the most thrilling crime episodes in Sydney In recent years, lhe constable acted in self-defence, and if h 0 had been a fraction of a second slower he would probably have lost his liie.

lhe tragedy was the culmination of a long police vigil and Lhe termination of an exciting chase. The man who was shot, William Henry Wilks, was a Canadian, aged 54 years, who, in addition to a formidable Australian police record, had been convicted in London and in Africa. He was released from gaol in December last, l-ur a few-weeks burglaries had been occurring in the early morning at Manly, and m an effort to capture the culprits red-handed, a police flying squad was organised, consisting of four constables, two in a motor-car and two patrolling noiselessly on bicycles.

Two of the constables actually sawtwo men attempting to break into tea rooms. The men realising that they had been discovered, decamped, and then ensued an exciting chase. Very soon the four constables were working together in an attempt to cut off all avenues of escape. Great flcctncss was displayed by the fugutives, who vaulted fences with the ease of athletes. They ran through back-yards and led the police through lanes and vacant sections, often doubling back in a bewildering fashion.

Soor the criminals were beginning to show signs of fatigue, and stood momentarily in a vacant section as if to discuss their future plans. Constable Wiley found them thus as he came around a corner, and they made off again, racing like hares through private yards and over fences, trampling on gardens as they wont. Constat le Wiley kept close at their heels. Wilks drew a revolver and shouted some hoarse throat, but Constable Wiley, not to be intimidated, fired a shot over the heads of the criminals. Wilks and his companion were apparently well acquainted with the locality, for after a while the police lost sight of them.

A search was then commenced, and it was while Constable Burns wan : landing in the shadows of a lane that he saw a figure rise stealthily from some long grass and attempt to climb a fence. The constable moved quickly and closed with the man, Wilk’s, drawing his revolver as he did so. He whipped out his handcuffs and with a flick of the wrist had almost clasped them on to Wilks when the fugutive

jumped back shouting that ho. would short. Ho fired and the constable fired also, the shots being almost, simultaneous. Both bullets flow wide, and Constable Burns, quicker with his revolver, fired again and the bullet this time passed through Wilks’ heart. Wilks fell gasping. “T am done for/he said, and fell back dead,. The other man escaped.