DAYLIGHT ROBBERY.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 858, 2 July 1910, Page 5

DAYLIGHT ROBBERY.

AT HOTEL WINDSOR. COURAGEOUS LADY'S PROMPT ACT. AN EXCITING SCENE. A little before 3 o'clock yesterday afternoon, Mrs. Firth, manageress of the Hotel Windsor, went upstairs to lier room in company with her daughter, and on opening the door was astonished to discover a man in 'the room. A hasty glance showed that the chest of drawers in the room had been ransacked, and on an armchair near the man waa a quantity of jewellery, apparently taken from the drawers. As soon as she could recover from the momentary shock caused by the unpleasant disMrs. Firth asked: "What are you doing there?" The intruder, who was palpably uneasy at the turn which events had taken, proffered the excuse that he had made a mistake in the room. He was, he said looking for the room of a boarder, whom he named, and who occupied an apartment on the same floor a few doors furthor down the corridor.

Manageress and the Man. Meanwhile, with some show of sangfroid, he attempted to brush past the ladies, but Mrs. Firth, taking tho view that the man's presence there required more explanation than he had given, determined that he should not easily; escape, and, acting with promptitude, at once blocked his exit. Then as he still attempetd to force his way out, Mrs. Firth, with considerable pluck, pulled the door. to. For a second the man held his foot in the door, but after a brief struggle it was slammed, and while her daughter called for help Mrs. Firth held on to the handle.

In a couple of minutes assistance was at hand, the door was opened and a rush was made to overpower the man, but an open window showed only too plainly that ho had decamped by the fire-escape.

The state of the apartment was then, examined, and it was found that a considerable portion of the jewellery was scattered about, and a hurried look round disclosed the fact that a diamond ring and a gold chain were gone. These,_ however, were the only articles missing so far as is at presentknown.

Two Arrests on Suspicion, Little time was lost in informing the police of the occurrence, and about an .'hour later Detectives Cassells and Hammond arrested a man named parties .M'lntyro on suspicion of being the man, and charged him with stealing jewellery, of the value of £90. When arrested the man was in bed in a boardinghouse in the city. The detectives also arrested a suspected' accomplice, who was found in bed in his room at the Hotel Windsor, and who is charged with vagrancy. The room where the affair occurred is on the second floor of the building, overlooking Chew's Lane. It appears that when the man was making hia escape one of the hotel employees happened to see him, and, having his suspicions aroused, gave chaso towards Victoria Street, but the man had a bicycle handy and got clear away with the gold chain, it is said, hanging out of his pocket.

The second man arrested' had been staying at the hotel some time, and, on several occasions, had a friend to meals with him, but there was nothing connected with his conduct to cause suspicion. Yesterday, it is alleged, he again had a friend with him at the midday meal, and tlioy afterwards. went upstairs together. .

The men who have: been arrested on. suspicion will appear before the Court this morning. 4