SENSATIONAL INCIDENT.

Gisborne Times, Volume XVIII, Issue 1439, 27 April 1905, Page 2

SENSATIONAL INCIDENT.

SERVANT’S STRUGGLE WITH A BURGLAR.

A cook named Ada Coombe, employed , by Mrs' Scherfi at Glenalvon, ; Emily/ Place, Auckland, had a startling experience between 3 and 4 o’clock on Sunday morning. She was aroused in her bedroom by someone moving abouti but, thinking it was a fellow servant coming.’to)see the time, she did not at first take very much ’IV? notice. A match being struok, she was horrified to soe a man in the room., Jumping out of bed, she grappled with the intruder, who caught hold of her by the "I throat with both hands, almost choking her. She,wrenched herself from his grasp, and screamed for'belp. This alarmed her assailant and Mr Percy Scherfi, whose room is on the same floor, was aroused, The man bolted down the stairs, three at a time, with Mr Scherfi in hot pursuit, and \ darted out of a Bide door, running! round X the side of the house towards old Admiralty House.

An entry had been effected by the hack '.f door, which was only a few feet from the back stair? leading to the servants’ bedroom. When he was pursued the man raced through the hall, and instead of making for tho front door, took the side ’ door, which was some yards further.on.' It would seem that the intrader was acquainted with Glenalvon and the onstoms of tho house, for it is Mr SoherfFa j rule to pay her servants every Saturday, and the cook has generally a pound or two in her room. The curious part of the business is that no attempt appears to have been made to enter any of the guests’ rooms, where it might, be expected that \ more plnnder might have been obtained than from the bedroom of a domestic. The cook has, however, missed a brooch, which was of little value, but so far as she, knows nothing else has been stolen. Mrs Scherfi, whose room'is on the , ground floor, was awakened by _ the noise of the man springing downstairs, as he had to pass quite close to her rooms. Mr Percy Scherfi chased him round the house, but he was lost in the darkness. His T' pursuer was wearing only -his pyjamas at the time, and consequently was somewhat. handicapped in the chase.—Herald. ! >4