ewsletter for the Point Chevalier Historical Society o. 16, December 2010 Membership of the Point Chevalier Historical Society Membership is open to all with an interest in our area’s history, and costs only $10 per person. This entitles you to vote at our meetings, and to receive mailed copies of the Point Chevalier Times. Send cheques to: Pt Chevalier Historical Society C/- 19 Methuen Road Avondale, Auckland 0600 sites.google.com/site/pointchevalierhistory/ Times cÉ|Çà V{xätÄ|xÜEdited from Evening Post reports, 15 & 21 May, 22 & 23 July 1936. Surprised by an intruder who struck him a vicious blow on the head with a lead pipe, MrJ G Worboys, officer in charge of the Point Chevalier branch of the Auckland Savings Bank, was engaged in a fierce struggle in his room at the bank on 14 May 1936, before he managed to overpower and disarm his assailant. A revolver prominently displayed by MrWorboys had the effect of dissuading the man, later identified as James Billing, from furtherviolence. Billing was taken into custody by a party of detectives hastily summoned from head- quarters. A large lump on Mr Worboys' forehead and a cut near the left eye bore testimony to the severity of the blow. He was brought to the city by motorcar and was attended by a chemist before going to his home in Remuera. The arrested man, who was unhurt, was lodged in the cells for the night. He appeared in the Magistrate's Court in the morning. A modest account of his singlehanded arrest was given by Mr Worboys. Although taken completely unawares and struck so violently that he almost fell, he rallied quickly and was able to avoid a second blow from a heavy lead pipe about 18 inches long. "I was coming out of my room about 4 o'clock and was alone on the premises at the time, when a man wearing an overcoat and slouch hat, who was in a passageway leading to the banking More on page 3 Violent Affray at Pt Chevalier Bank, May 1936 Violent Affray at Pt Chevalier Bank, May 1936 CalendarMeetings—2011 February 3 10.30 am—Book Talk, Pt ChevalierLibrary (see back page) February 24 10.30 am Horticultural Centre, Great North Road April 28 10.30 am Horticultural Centre, Great North RoadJune 23 10.30 am (AGM) Horticultural Centre, Great North RoadAugust 25 10.30 am Horticultural Centre, Great North RoadOctober 27 10.30 am Horticultural Centre, Great North Roadovember 24 10.30 am Location to be advisedOur thanks to Z Post’s Community Post programme for their generous support & sponsorship of this publication.
Edited from Evening Post reports, 15 & 21 May,22 & 23 July 1936.
Surprised by an intruder who struck him a vicious blow on the head with a lead pipe, Mr
J G Worboys, officer in charge of the PointChevalier branch of the Auckland Savings Bank,was engaged in a fierce struggle in his room atthe bank on 14 May 1936, before he managed tooverpower and disarm his assailant.
A revolver prominently displayed by Mr Worboys had the effect of dissuading the man,later identified as James Billing, from further violence. Billing was taken into custody by a
party of detectives hastily summoned from head-quarters.
A large lump on Mr Worboys' forehead and a cutnear the left eye bore testimony to the severity of the blow. He was brought to the city by motorcar and wasattended by a chemist before going to his home in Remuera. The arrested man, who was unhurt, was lodged in thecells for the night. He appeared in the Magistrate's Court in the morning.
A modest account of his singlehanded arrest was given by Mr Worboys. Although taken completely unawaresand struck so violently that he almost fell, he rallied quickly and was able to avoid a second blow from a heavylead pipe about 18 inches long. "I was coming out of my room about 4 o'clock and was alone on the premises atthe time, when a man wearing an overcoat and slouch hat, who was in a passageway leading to the banking
More on page 3
Violent Affray at Pt Chevalier Bank, May 1936Violent Affray at Pt Chevalier Bank, May 1936
Calendar
Meetings—2011February 3 10.30 am—Book Talk, Pt Chevalier Library (see back page)February 24 10.30 amHorticultural Centre, Great North Road
April 28 10.30 amHorticultural Centre, Great North Road
June 23 10.30 am (AGM)Horticultural Centre, Great North Road
August 25 10.30 amHorticultural Centre, Great North Road
October 27 10.30 am
Horticultural Centre, Great North Road ovember 24 10.30 am Location to be advised
Our thanks to Z Post’s Community Postprogramme for their generous support & sponsorship
Pt Chevalier Community LibraryMeeting started at 10.30 am.Present: 25 peopleApologies: Neil Hagan, Beverley Turner, Beryl Oliver, Elaine Read, Des Gate, Colleen Jansen, Margo Croad
Chairperson’s reportThank you to the speakers at the October meeting who spoke most interestingly on the old OccupationalTherapy School.
Pleasing to note that all the copies of Point Chevalier Memories have been sold. A reprint will be consideredif there is sufficient interest. Anybody who wishes to buy the book should give their name to a member of the committee.
Pt Chevalier Primary School is hoping to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the district. At this stage they arethinking to have grand parents talk to small groups of students about their early memories of the district. It islikely they will be looking for our members to assist in this as, of course, many families will be new to thedistrict.
Help please. The committee needs suggestions of possible sponsors of future projects and we need the names(and contact details if possible) of people who could speak at our meetings.
Attention drawn to “The Creek Abides - A photographic journey”. An exhibition of photographs of TeAuaunga / Oakley Creek Walkway, by New Zealand Geographic founding editor Kennedy Warne. CossetCafé, 1087 New North Rd (Woodward Rd/Richardson Rd intersection) until 15th December.
Albert Eden Local Board holding a community forum on Wednesday 1st December to establish plan for fu-ture development. The Committee to be represented for the Historical Society.
Treasurer’s reportCurrent bank accountsAccount $819.24 ( accounts for Horticultural Hall hire & newsletters still to paid)Account $2482
Lisa’s spotPhotograph from Bob Kinnear tabled. The location and event photographed are a complete mystery. See last page for details.February 3rd, 10.30 am –Maggie Counihan is talking about her times spent backpacking around the world.
Guest speaker: Lisa Truttman (History of the Asylum)
Next meeting: 10.30 am Thursday 24th FebruaryHorticultural Headquarters (Great North Road)Speaker(s) from the Charlotte Museum
Meeting concluded: 11.30am
ext meeting:
10.30 am, Thursday 24 February 2011
at Auckland Horticultural Society Centre990 Great orth Road
chamber, attacked me," Mr Worboys said. "The firstthing I knew was a blow on the head. I staggered back
into a corner of my room and realised that the man wasan assailant and grappled with him. In one hand he hada length of lead pipe and was brandishing it, apparentlyintending to strike me again. I closed with the man andsent him sprawling once or twice and managed to getthe pipe from him.
"I think that took the wind out of his sails. He juststood there and I went out to the front door. There wasa young man standing in the doorway, and I asked himto come inside, explaining that there had been sometrouble. At my request he telephoned head office,while I displayed the office revolver for good measure
to show the prisoner I was armed and to stop any fur-ther trouble."
The incident provided exciting few moments for several small boys who were in front of the bank, andtheir only regret was that the front door of the bank was closed when assistance arrived. It was a messagefrom one of them that resulted in Constable Spellman,who happened to be in the vicinity, being summoned.
Mr Worboys was a strongly-built young married man.He had joined the staff of the savings bank in 1920. Hehad served in various branches in the city and suburbs
and was appointed officer in charge at Point Chevalier around 1934.
The arrested man, James Billing, aged 39, was a bushman. He appeared in the Police Court on 20 May before Mr Wyvern Wilson, SM, charged that withintent to facilitate the commission of the crime of thefthe violently attempted to render James GodfreyWorboys incapable of resistance. The police appliedfor a remand to May 28.
Mr Sullivan, for the accused, requested bail. "This manhas never been in court before, and at the time was
under the influence of liquor," said counsel. "I am notspeaking of the commission of any alleged offence."The police did not oppose reasonable bail, and this wasfixed at £200 and two sureties each of £100.
At the Supreme Court on 20 July before Mr JusticeFair James Billing was charged that with intent tofacilitate the commission of the crime of theft he did
by violent means attempt to render James GodfreyWorboys incapable of resistance. There were alterna-tive charges of assault so as to cause actual bodilyharm and of simple assault. The accused, who wasdefended by Mr. Sullivan, pleaded not guilty.
The Crown Prosecutor, Mr V R Meredith, said the bank at Point Chevalier was a "one-man bank." Mr Worboys was in charge and was the only person on the
Violent Affray at the ASB Bank,
May 1936
premises at the time of the assault. He was about toclose the front door for the day when, without seeinganything, he felt a blow on the back of his head thatknocked him back into the manager's office. Theaccused and he went down together and struggled onthe floor. Mr Worboys took a piece of piping awayfrom the accused and went to the door and called ayoung man named Holden to his assistance. The
accused approached him and Mr Worboys had to fire ashot in the floor to keep the accused off. When the police came they found new gloves and a leather thong. It would appear quite likely, said Mr. Meredith,that this was not a "one-man job," but that others wereimplicated. It was fairly carefully planned by someonewho knew the habits of Mr. Worboys and his practiceat the bank. If the pipe had hit him fairly and squarely,if it had not killed him it would have rendered himunconscious, and no alarm would have been givenuntil Mr Worboys did not return home late in theevening. After several witnesses had been heard thecase was adjourned.
The plea that James Billing was incapable of comingto a conclusion whether he was doing wrong or notowing to the effect of a war wound when he took liquor, was not accepted by the jury in the SupremeCourt the following day.
The accused, Billing, giving evidence, said he enlistedwhen 18 years of age, in 1916, and got a bullet woundat the side of his nose. Portion of the bullet was stillthere, and he had had eight or nine teeth extracted onMay 13. He detailed the drinking he had done that dayand also on the next day, when he visited four hotels.In the second he had three small bottles of beer and inthe fourth he had several drinks and then several more.The next thing he remembered was being under arrestin a motor-car. He could not contradict the evidenceagainst him or give any explanation. In answer to hisHonour, the accused said he was drawing £2 5s a week in sustenance.
Dr W H Horton said he had seen Billing's hospitalrecords and X-ray plates. The plates showed a minutemetal fragment behind the orbit, and there was achronic inflammatory condition of the nose. Alcohol
had the effect of. completely paralysing the memoryfor some hours afterwards. Isolated events would standout against a background. "Your Honour, I am speak-ing from personal knowledge," said witness. He addedthat alcohol produced automatism. To Mr. Meredith,witness admitted that it would be a rather startlingcoincidence if the accused did automatic movementsabout the bank showing plan and design, and if heautomatically got gloves and a lead pipe.
Mr Meredith called in rebuttal the medical evidence of Dr H M Buchanan, superintendent of the AvondaleMental Hospital. Witness said that in this case there
seemed to have been a carefully-prepared plan and aseries of purposeful acts that was not consistent with
automatism. He saw nothing in the case consistentwith the theory that Billing was in a state of mentaloblivion.
His Honour said that when a man went into a bank with a piece of lead piping, and concealed himself in aconvenient place to assault the. manager and didassault him, the jury was entitled to infer that his pur-
pose there was to rob the bank. They had to decidewhether it was his intention to rob the bank andwhether he knew what he was doing. After aretirement of an hour and ten minutes the jury returnedwith a verdict of guilty on the first charge with a strongrecommendation to mercy. In remanding Billing for sentence, his Honour said he would give effect to therecommendation as far as he could; but a crime of thatsort required serious consideration.
ext issue due out March 2011Contact Lisa Truttman (editor) :
Author Margaret Counihan grew up on Pt Chevalier Road, and attended Pt Chevalier School. In February,she will give a talk on her book, all about her adventures and travels from South-East Asia to StPetersburg.
A Mystery Photo!
Society member Bob Kinnear passed along this photograph from his grandfather’s collection — what we’dall like to know is: where and when was the celebration taking place? Bob thinks it may be close to the bottom of Chinaman’s Hill. One thing is for certain: this image has caused a bit of a stir, with almost every-one looking at it intrigued, puzzled, and coming up with ideas.
If you, dear reader, can help, please get in contact with us at the Pt Chevalier Historical Society.
