BURGLAR IN BEDROOMS

Hokitika Guardian, 16 January 1923, Page 1

BURGLAR IN BEDROOMS

SKXSATIONS AT ISLAKKTOWN

AN A F DA( TOPS Till K!•

Awakened in ihe early hours of Saturday morning by feeling her bed shake, Aliss !.. Brown, of Bliiketown, looked up and saw the figure of a man : i I:. - bedroom. She gave the alarm, bn. Lite burglar made his get-away in quick time lime, taking with him a

gold vvri-tlot watch valued at I>. The watch, belonging to Aliss L. Brown, was on lhe dressing-table. On the sane table were a gold watch and gold loc-ke! and chain, the property of Miss I!. Brown, but the burglar was disturbed and had no time to take these v.iiii hmi.

Air .7. Brown, motor-eni proprietor, was awakened about 3.30 a.m. by the ostind of rapping on the wall of the next room, occupied by Ins sister (.Miss i.. Brown, and daughter (Miss I’. Brown). <)n asking what was wrong, ho was inl'orua’il that, somebody hail entered the hoii-c and was in their n, 10. Mr Broun at once got up. but thy intruder had disappeared, leaving •plain traces on the Hunt of it is wei. bn:r feet, lie had apparently entered the house by the hack door, which was unlocked. Ali.ss i.. Brown heard the back door bump shortly after site rapped on tinwall. It. is considered that the burglar must have been familiar with flic

house. Further investigation showed that the burglar hail first entered the washhouse, removed some elolhes Irom the luhs. wrung the water from them, and laid them on the steps ol the washhouse. ready to jiiek up after his visit to the house, fit his hurried retreat ho left the clothes where they were. IIOBBFI) Wllfl.F ASLF.FI’. Considerable audaeitv was shown at the residence of Mr Conrad Ifatth, LBaketown, who also had an nndesirj aide visitor, presumably the same perj son. .Mr llauh’s pocket money was re--1 moved from his trousers, which were | halloing on the end of the hod in | which he was sleeping. Ihe stolen cash | was as follows:—One 10s note, a half- ! crown, two-shilling pieee, and a threei penny-piece. A raid was also made on | the pantry, where the thief made the , following selection :—Two bottles ol 1 l.lack currant jam, a tin of syrup, a packet of candles, and hall a bottle of fruit salts. The total value of the cash and articles stolen was Cl Is. The theft occurred between midnight and (> a.m.. the house being entered by wav of the wash-house window, which was closed, hut not fastened. The wm-h-house is under the same roof as the house, and once the wash-house was entered any part of the house could he reached. Tt is thought that the burglar must have known his way about the house fairly well, and been familiar with the habits of the occupant. The new paint on the washhouse window was soiled, ns though the burglar had been wearing dirty clothes. The police are continuing their investigations.