A STRANGE BURGLARY.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 283, 24 August 1908, Page 10

A STRANGE BURGLARY.

GAVE THE THIEF INSTRUCTIONS. It does not often happen that a man is an eyo-witness of a burglary in his own house, and remain unconscious of tho fact that ho is being, robbed ■ while keeping up a running commentary with the intruder on tho clumsiness of his. methods. This odd experience, however, recently occurred to James Nally, a resident of Hawthorn, Melbourne (says the Sydney "Telegraph.") Nally is an elderly man, and resides at 15 Kent Street, Hawthorn. Oil Monday at about 9 p;m. he went to bed, taking his little grandson, aged 7 years, with him, and leaving his wife writing in another part of tho house. The lamp was turned low in tho bedroom.

■ Shortly after getting into bed Nally saw someono in the room taking his watch out of the pocket of his vest, which hung on a peg. He thought it • was his wife, and called out, "Don't pull it like that; you will break the chain." Next he heard a fumbling at the chest of drawers. One of the drawers was very -violently pulled, as if it had stuck and was being wrenched. Nally, still thinking he was speaking to his wife, said, "You will break tho drawer if you pull it like that." .The person evidently took his advice, and the drawer, yielding to more gentle treatment, at once opened. The search of the drawer was'soon mado, and tho room was soon again left to the occupation of Nally and his little grandson. Thon the latter cried out in a terrified voice, "That's not grandma; it's a man." Tho little fellow had been watching the burglar rummaging tho room; but up till then had been too frightened to speak. Mr. Nally immediately got up and searched tho houso; but tho bold intruder had disappeared. Investigation disclosod that Nally's silver watch, with gold chain attached, had been stolon, together with a deposit receipt on tho E.S. and A Bank for £25, and a Savings Bank deposit book.