BANK ROBBERY IN MELBOURNE.

Inangahua Times, Volume X, Issue 1563, 19 June 1885, Page 2

BANK ROBBERY IN MELBOURNE.

♦ The following details of the recent act of brigandage in M3I bourne are published in Sydney papers : — This morning (June 3), at a quarter to ten o'clock a daring robbery was perpetrated in the National Bank Simpson's road, East (JollingwoocL The office is merely a receiving-house. No money is kept there, but each morning a supply for the day's requirements is obtained from the Richmond branch. In accordance with the custom, Mr Humphries, the manager, and Mr Bradshaw, clerk, went from the Richmond establishment this morning; with £1000, and on entering the building they were attacked by three masked men, and overawed with revolvers, one of the desperadoes brandishing a crowbar. The officers were compelled to surrender, and were warned not to cry ont on pain of being shot, and when they resisted the intruders threw down, and strapped their hands behind. their backs. Humphries had a revolver in his breast pocket, and it was taken from him. The men then took the money from Bradshaw and left. After a while Humphries managed to open the door, and some persons passing were called in and released them. Altogether £1175 10s was stolen. Of this £955 was in notes, of which the numbers are not known. The police have the matter in hand. THK ACCOUNTANT'S BTATBMENT. Alfred Bradshaw, accountant, States : I met the manager, Mr Humphries, at the Richmond branch, Bridge road, as was the custom, at 9 o'clock, this morning, and got £1125 10s, composed of 908 £\ notes, £117 10s in gold, and £100 in silver, from that office. I placed it in a black bag. M> , Humphries and myself walked dowu

) the Victoria street branch, going by »c way of Separation street On rriving at the Victoria street branch re went to Sheiley'y Hotel, where the eys of the premises were left for the urpoae of allowing a woman to clean fie bank oat We then went across be bank, and entered by the back ateway. No one resides on the pr«aises. On entering the place we locked be back door after ns, and then onocked the inner door in the passage, nd on entering the passage, we also ocked it after us. We then poshed pen the door leading into the man.ger's room, and were at once pounced ipon by three stalwart men, who were nasked, having crape over their &cea, tad "Viator" caps buttoned over heir chins. They called out, " Put lowns your hands, or you're dead nen," They covered ns with their revolvers, and forced me on the noor,%w »lso the manager, who was compelled :o go under the table in obedience to the robbers' directions. The manager liad a revolver loaded in six chambers in his pocket, which he endeavoured to use, but the thieves, preeeiving his action, again threatened him. He then lay on hit stomach ander the table, *Hh his hands behind bis back, and they strapped him at the wrists. I was, daring the whole of this time, lying on* the floor, covered with a revolver. They then strapped ra« with my hands behind my back. They sharched us for the keys of the safe, and found them on the manager. They went to the safe, and totk out a bag containing £50 in silver, leaving behind them one containing J670, which they bad evidently not seen. Tbeu they came back to the manager's room, and said they were sorry they woald have to gag us, but they must do co for their own safety. They put handkerchiefs, down our throats, and lied rags over our mouth. They then tl«f by the back door, pulling it after them. As soon as the robbers bad gone, I rolled from beneath the table to the corner of the room, and with much difficulty managed* by pressing my shoulders against the wall, to wriggle myself into a standing position, and shuffled across the floor very slowly to the back door, owing to my feet being strapped at the ankles. Turning my back to the handle* I managed to raise the catch, and wist to the street. Someone passing by, noticing my predicament, unbound me. We then released the manager, and ran to the Collingwood Police ; Station. . A quarter of an hour had elapsed since the robbers left. The bank is a two-storied building at the corner wf Shelley and Victoria streets* Richmond, and contains two rooms (empty) above and two below. The lower windows are barred, but the upper ones are without catches. At the back is a small room attached, th*» roof of which reaches within four feet of one of the other back windows. This was opened, and the door was unlocked. There were marks of men's feet on the window sill. They had been spitting on the floor of the room. Any young fellow could easily climb to the roof and enter by the window. From the top of the stairs everything going on below in the back could be watched.