£36 2s GIVEN TO ROBBED WIDOW

Press, Volume CV, Issue 31001, 5 March 1966, Page 1

£36 2s GIVEN TO ROBBED WIDOW

“I want you to thank them very, very much, from the bottom of my heart,” said Mrs M. A. Gray, when she was told yesterday that people who had read of her plight had sent in donations to “The Press.” Mrs Gray, a widow pensioner aged 72, who is partly blind and deaf, with diabetes, lost her rent money and what she had saved to meet bills, including repairs to her wash-ing-machine, when her house in Sydenham was burgled early on Tuesday morning. She was awakened to find £l7 19s 3d, left in her purse on a table beside her bed, had been stolen. This meant she had only £4 on which to live for a month. The first call to “The Press” came early yesterday morning from Lyttelton railway workers who had already taken up a collection. During the day further

sympathisers sent in money, and in the afternoon Mrs Gray was handed £27 10s, which has been deposited in her bank. Two more donations last evening brought the total to £36 2s, and two persons who went to the Central police station offered to make up the amount which had been stolen. The Canterbury branch of the New Zealand Foundation for the Blind had received about 10 calls from persons wishing to help Mrs Gray said the manager (Mr G. F. C. Ashdowne) last evening. They would be sending contributions by mail. The branch would do all it could to help her, Mr Ashdowne said. “Whatever food is needed by Mrs Gray will be attended to by us. If she’s short of clothing then we’ll look after that too.” By last evening, donations had been received from: The Lyttelton railway workers, the Women’s auxiliary of the New Zealand Social Credit Political League, Burnham Military Camp headquarters, “Joy," “Soft-hearted,” "Disgusted,” and a woman who wished to remain anonymous. Any further donations should be sent to the Canterbury branch of the New Zealand Foundation for the Blind.