BRUTAL BURGLARY IN SYDNEY.

Evening Star, Issue 4311, 20 December 1876, Page 4

BRUTAL BURGLARY IN SYDNEY.

The following, - abridged from the * Echo,’ is a statement made by Mr Levey, the postmaster in South Head road; Sydney, of the attack made upon him by burglars who entered bis premises :—Mr Levey states that about half-past one o’clock a.m. he woke up, thinking the house was on tire. There was perceptible a .smell like burning tinder. He slept in the front bedroom on. the second floor, and went down to look for the fire. When he got off the stairs close to the back parlor door he saw a candle burning. This shed a somewhat indistinct light, which prevented him seeing very clearly about. "While he was trying to account for the presence of the light, he looked round about, and on a sofa (in the back parlor) sat a man with a handkerchief in his hands, in which he was apparently tying up money. He had a black beard, and seemed to be* a tallish man. While Mr Levey was looking at th 6 man another man came, he thought from the back kitchen, and threw a ligature round Mr Levey’s neck and pulled it violently. Mr Levey, being then close by the man who was tying up the money, caught him by the beard. The man who had thrown the ligature—and who is described as a shorter man than the other, with a red beard—then struck Mr Levey a violent blow on the left arm above the elbow with some lieavy instrument, so that he thought the limb had been broken. The tall and dark man said, “Baptise the ,” and threw a fluid over his face and upper part of his body, which burnt him. The other kicked him on the loins, and dragged him after him into the yard by the rope. The tall man made his escape by the back way, and the shorter man let go Mr Levey, and followed, leaving him in a partially unconscious state, and both making their escape. Having been disturbed, two Sons and one daughter of Mr Levey (the eldest being about seventeen years) came down stains and found their father in the position in which the burglars had left him. H is eyes were staring and tongue protruding. Miss Alice Levey could only with extreme difficulty, so tightly had it been raise the ligature so as to

cut it. After this had. been done Master Alfred Levey assisted his father upstairs, towards the bedroom, and his younger brother ran for the police. After Mr Levey had been got to bed a doctor was sent for, and he has since been attended by Drs. Egan and Sbarke. The fluid thrown over him Was a corrosive acid of some kind, probably nitric acid. His face, neck, ahd hands have been burnt by .it; and but for halving had spectacles on at the time of his assault he must have lost his eyesight. The marks of the ligature remain on his neck, which is much swollen, particularly under the ears. There is a black patch as large as the palm' of the hand on the left arm, where he bad been struck—such a bruise as might be caused by an iron bar, or the back of a tomahawk. He has also been bruised about the loins by the kick he received on that part. As to ihe robberies effected by the two men, Mr Levey states that from the safe they have taken L 145 in “registered” Government notes, besides L3B, money, 4iid stamps, and LI3O, money in hand, In LI notes. These three sums in registered notes, in stair p money and , money in hand for doing business make i a total of L 313. A lot of jewels was ■ also stolen.