THE MIDNIGHT HAIRCUTTING EPISODE.

Globe, Volume XXIV, Issue 2471, 8 March 1882, Page 3

THE MIDNIGHT HAIRCUTTING EPISODE.

A Waipawa correspondent supplies the “ Hawke’s Bay Herald ’’ with the following:— A moat extraordinary tale is “ going the rounds ” here now. It is somewhat dif&oult to get at the precise facts, hut I have busied myself to get as nearly at the truth as possible, and I think the following will be found a pretty accurate statement of facts : —On Sunday evening last the family of Mr St. Olair Inglis retired to rest at their usual hour. All the doors were securely fastened, but several of the windows wore left open for the sake of ventilation, Miss Inglis (a young lady of fifteen) and a younger sister slept in one of the rooms, the window of which was left open. Mrs Inglis, who slept in an adjoining room, remained awake for some time, and about an hour after retiring she heard somebody walking about in the room occupied by Mies Inglis, and shortly afterwards the hook which fastened the window fell down. Thinking that Miss Inglis was closing the window, Mrs Inglis did not move. Immediately afterwards Miss Inglis knocked at the doorof her mother’s room and, in some excitement, said that someone had been in her room and cut off her back hair whilo she was asleep. She was not awakened by the operation, which must have been most deftly performed ; but the dropping of the window-hook had aroused her. There was no mistaking the fact that the hair had been cut cff. Mr Inglis immediately instituted a search around the promises to see if any trace of the perpetrator of the cowardly outrage oould be found. Underneath Miss Inglis’ bedroom window was found one of her boots. In this were the hair of Miss Inglis and a slip of paper, on which, written in a cramped hand (apparently disguised) were the words :—“ I wanted a bit of your hair through the window.— D L." This piece of paper had been taken from the sitting-room, so that the “midnight barber” must have wandered pretty well over the house, and he (or she) must have been very quiet. Nothing valuable was missed, nor was any violence (save the hair-

cutting) attempted, so that it i» evident that revenge or ipite muit have dictated the disgraceful outrage. So far as I can learn, there is no evidence to connect anyone with the affair, though of course suspicions point in a certain direction. There is much sympathy felt for Mr Inglis, for—though last Sunday’s outrage was more mean and despicable than serious—had not Miss Inglis possessed sound nerves she might have suffered a severe shook to her system. It also indicates that Mr Inglis has an enemy who will not stop at much that will give him annoyance, and if he remains undetected he may next time, emboldened by impunity, do something more serious in its consequences. I heartily hope that he will be caught and punished. If the law will not reach him a good stockwhip will.