SHOT BY BURGLAR.

Gisborne Times, Volume XIX, Issue 1639, 4 January 1906, Page 3

SHOT BY BURGLAR.

A GROCER WOUNDED. A sousalisual affair oooutred at about a quarter to ton p.m. on Saturday, December 29, in Melbourne. Mr Robert Fletcher, who onrrirs on a grocery ators at the oorner of Bourko an 3 King streets, found a burglar on his promises, and was shot by him in the course of an exoitmg fight. Fletcher had occasion to go to an upstairs room, and finding a burghrthere, promptly seized him. Tho two men rolled downstairs into tho shop, struggling violently. Mrs Fletoher rushed to the assistance of her husband, and seized one of the burglar’s bands. The diversion caused Mr Fletcher to rel.x his hold, and by a sudden twist the burglar contrived to wrest himself free. Ho dashed from the shop into a back room with Fletoher hot Upon bis trn’l. “ S and off or I'll shoot,” cried tho man.

“ I’ll take the shooting out of you," retorted Fletoher, grabbing at his shoulder. ■ Immediately there was a flash of a firearm discharged from a distanoß of a few inobes, and a bullet entered Fietoher's: cheat a little above the left lung and seot thim to the floor. The burglar dasbrd into ■tbjymrd and made bis esoßpe. lest no time in taking! Flot-i ohfritfo Melbourne Htspita), where the bullet was found to have out the main artery leading to his a-m He was by this time in a comatese state, Buffering severe internal homorrbega, but an opera; tion wa3 performed and tbo bullet ex< tractod.

An examination of tbo preraiies sbowod that tbe burglar had entered by climbing over the fence from tho yard of a vacaof shop next door. He had made his way through an unlocked door of the back room upstairs to the front bedroom. Thors he had taken a tin oishbox from beneath' the bed, aod breaking i! open wi’.h ajemmt bed seizid i f s content’, about ;E6 15>j Nothiog else in the room was disturbed, 1 abd as there were a number of drawers locked it is presumol ho had not concluded his work when he hoard Fletoher coming in. Toe police have failed lo find any clue to tbe perpetrator of the outrage, trad Fletoher is doubtful if he would be able to reooguiso hie assailant.