CLEVER CRIMINAL.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LIII, Issue 16, 16 December 1932, Page 9

CLEVER CRIMINAL.

FOUND GUILTY IN (SYDNEY. Received December 16, 10.35 a.m. SYDNEY, Dec. 16. Paul Grierson, aged 32, was found guilt of the William Street postal liold-up and was also found guilty of causing grievous bociiry harm to Alfred Johnson and was remanded for sentence. Detective Walker described Grierson ns one of the most cunning, clever, callous and dangerous criminals in the State. While Mr Francis Scckold, postmaster at tho William Streot post office, was carrying: a bag containing £530 to a neighbouring office for payment of old ago and invalid pensions, robbers secured the money by an apparently carefully arranged coup. Mr Seckold was accompanied by an assistant, Mr Alfred Johnson, who was armed. When the pair had gone 100 yards through the' crowded thoroughfaro, two men drossed in overalls and pretending to work as cleaners threw the. contents of a bucket of liquid in tho faces of tho postal men. who were temporarily blinded and choked, apparently by fumes of some sort. Mr Johnson was knocked down and disarmed. Then Mr Scckold was felled and his bag seized, after which the attackers made eft. The man who was carrying the bag collided wth a motor car and fell to tho ground, but, recovered himself and eluded the pursuers in tho hurrying traffic. Ho rushed through a shop into a nearby street, and escaped in car that apparently was waiting in readiness.