Contact Artefacts
please if you have any comments or more information regarding this record.
Menu
HomeUpfront
Now Up
Books
Towns
Structures
People
Firms
Lexicon
National Bank - First
Benoni, Gauteng
Contact Artefacts | MenuHomeUpfront Now Up Books Towns Structures People Firms Lexicon | National Bank - First | ||
| This is the first building that housed the National Bank Die Nationale Bank der Zuid Afrikaansche Republiek. The bank was later housed in three more buildings with the last becoming Barclays National Bank then First National Bank and now [2020] Damelin College. See also: FIRST BANK ROBBERY – 12 000 pounds stolen in daring Benoni Daylight raid It was early morning of Monday, November 1 in the year 1897 and the doors have just been opened in Benoni’s first bank, “Die Nationale Bank der Zuid Afrikaansche Republiek”, situated in a small house near what was known as the Orient Shaft, east of the present town. Though too early for customers, the bank staff of one, a popular young accountant names Oates, was already busy, for this was the first day of the month; the day when the miners called for their monthly wages and the shelves in the bank were stacked with this cash. In those days, Cornish miners worked hard and drank hard. There would be little of that cash left when the night fell, thought Mr. Oates. He was so right – but not in the way that he then imagined. Outside came the sound of horses being galloped down the street. The sounds stopped outside the door of the bank and three men came in. Who could they be? Prospectors, perhaps. Certainly not miners, too early for them. Oates watched the three men approach him. Something in their manner made him apprehensive and he gave a thought to turning and snatching his Webley, kept handy on the shelf behind. As if divining his intention, two of the men drew revolvers and he was ordered to put up his hands. One of the visitors, a tall, wiry, hard bitten stranger, motioned him away from the shelves with his revolver. The second, a short, rugged man, looking like a character that had stepped straight out of a Bret Harte short story, told him; “Move a muscle and you are dead”. The man spoke with a definite American slang. Oates did as he was bid and the gangsters were about to make off with the money when an interruption occurred. Mr. R. Hundson, newly appointed manager of the bank, walked into the room from his inner office. NEW MANAGERS WELCOME. He had only arrived at Benoni the previous Saturday and part of Oates’ job had been to offer an introduction to all the bank’s customers to Mr. Hudson. Sitting in his office, the new manager had heard voices outside and not having been called, was on his way through to introduce himself mentally chiding his assistant for forgetting to call him to see all customers. The revolvers of the gangsters pulled him up short. So surprised was he that all he could say was: “This is a d____ fine state of affairs”. “Shut up” he was told. “Put up your hands and move over next to your buddy or things will be worse for you”. One of the gangsters produced two pairs of handcuffs. The bracelets were fixed on the two bank officials and they were roughly bundled into one corner. One of the three hold-up men went back to their horses and returned with two haversacks, into which they began to pile the money made ready on the shelves. NO HASH-HOUSE ESCAPE. Meantime, Oates and Hudson had been hoping that someone from Selfe’s boarding house (known as the Hash-house) might have heard the disturbance. But no one came and in quick time the three gangsters had the money stashed away in the haversacks and were bearing down on them again. “The key to the safe”, they demanded. It was unless trying to resist. The key gained, the safe was opened. It was stacked with gold and silver coin. Ignoring the silver, the gangsters pounced on the gold. Then hearing noises outside, the gangsters quickly gathered up their gains and made ready to get away. Before they did, the tall one, later identified as Anderson, lifting his revolver said: “Hurry up, let’s finish them off”. Oates begged them to spare their lives but Anderson would have none of it. He maintained if they were spared they would live to identify the gangsters. How right he was. But a second gangster intervened and stressed the danger of murdering and finally Anderson, reluctantly, put up his revolver and the three sprang on their horses and made off. “Show your nose outside the door or raise an alarm and you’ll get a bullet for your pains”, was the last the two bank servants heard from the gangsters. Though handcuffed behind the back, after some difficulty, Oates managed to undo the door which had been locked by the gangsters and raise the alarm. Soon an excited crowd of miners and residents had assembled and a quick explanation was given by Oates as to what had happened. In those days, every Benoni man carried a gun and practically every Benoni man could ride. In no time at all, thoughts of their big wage day celebration to spur them on, a posse was formed and away went the citizens chasing their gangster hold-up men. But the three had made good their start and there was no chance of even picking up their trail, much less of catching up with the gangsters and retrieving the money. Back in Benoni a fitter was called who quickly released the bank manager and Oates from their handcuffs. The accountant then grabbed a bicycle and rode furiously to Boksburg where he informed Mr. Watermeyer, the manager of the National Bank at that time, of what had occurred. Watermeyer hurried back with Oates to Benoni and on checking the losses found that 12 000 pounds had been taken. The Zarps got to work and basing their search on the fact that there was no extradition treaty between the Transvaal and Natal, came to the conclusion that Natal would be the gangsters’ refuge. GANGSTERS FOUND And so it proved. Two men, giving the names of Wright and Sherman, had arrived in Durban and put up at a well-known hotel. Money flowed like water. They purchased two first-class tickets for England. The sleuths of the law, however, got on their track and extradition treaty was rushed through and the men arrested on suspicion. When they were identified at Durban by Hudson and Oates as the two of the three hold-up men, a large crowd drew round the police station throughout the time they were there, for already the notorious fame of the three had rapidly spread. There was a good deal of delay before Anderson and Wyke, the two who were caught, were brought back to the Transvaal. Tried in Johannesburg, they were sentenced to eight years’ hard labour. For other offences they admitted, they got further terms of imprisonment and lashes. The third was never caught. Thus ended Benoni’s biggest bank hold-up so far. Source: BCT Golden Jubilee Supplement, Dated Feb 1956 |
|
