DAYLIGHT ROBBERY

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 75, Issue 125, 30 May 1932, Page 8

DAYLIGHT ROBBERY

BANDIT’S DARING ATTACK CONSTABLE A FEW YARDS AWAY. With a constable on patrol duty only a few yards away and an almost continuous stream of pedestrian and vehicular traffic passing, three men, one of them armed with a revolver, held up a

hotel employee in Elizabeth Street, Melbourne, on a recent Monday morning and robbed him of money and cheques totalling £122, including about £6O in notes and silver.

Shortly after 10.30 a.m. John Beswick, an elderly pensioner employed at Mack’s Hotel, was sent by the licensee. Mr. Stanley Ritchie, to bank the hotel takings. As Beswick was passing an unoccupied lock-up shop two doors from the bank premises he was addressed by a man whom he had seen previously at the hotel. , Remarking, “Hullo, Charlie,’’ the man placed his hands in friendly fashion on Beswick’s shoulders, but as the latter attempted to move on lowered his arms around Beswick’s chest, pinning his arms to his side. In a flash two other men seized Beswick froip behind, and he was dragged struggling into the vacant shop, the door of which was unlocked. Once inside the shop the men hurriedly closed the door, dragged Beswick into a room at the rear and threw him to the floor.

Two of the bandits commenced to wrench at Beswick’s trousers pockets, while the other thrust a revolver into his side and said. “This is fully loaded. If you move I’ll plug you.’’ Beswick attempted to cry for help, and one of his assailants promptly placed his hands over Beswick’s mouth and eyes. Having gained possession of the contents of Beswick’s pockets the men unlocked a door leading to the yard of the premises, and threatening to shoot Beswick if he moved, left, locking the door behind them. The robbers were last seen by a woman employed at a near by hotel clambering over the back fence.

Tho first indication that anything was amiss was gained when Mr. A. Johnstone, who saw the struggle, outside the shop, tried the door a minute later and found it locked. He immediately informed a constable. Together they returned to the shop, and finding tho door then open, rushed in. Beswick’s cries could be hoard coming from the back room, and clambering through a window the constable released him. As the constable was accompanying Beswick back to his em plover’s hotel a man ran up to him and said he had scon three men in Flagstaff Gardens a few minutes earlier dividing a quantity of bank notes and silver

An examination of the shop disclosed that the skylight above tho front door had boon forced open, one of the chain fastenings brine broken. The police believe the bandits, aware of the custom of Mr. Ritchie, to either take or send his weekly takings to tho bank ovorv Monday morning, entered the shop through tho skylight and kept clo«e watch on the movements of Mr. Ritchie and staff.