KIDNAPPED YOUTH

Hokitika Guardian, 18 November 1931, Page 8

KIDNAPPED YOUTH

CARRIED OFF BY BURGLARS

STRANGE GISBORNE: STORY.

Hearing the sounds, of an attempted burglary at his home in the early hours of the moi'ning, a young Gisborne lad made investigations and scared away the intruder. Following the man outside, the lad was trapped into approaching a stationary car. A friend of the burglar suddenly jumped out of the machine, bundled the lad into it, and eventually him 25 runes out in the country.

This was the thrilling experience of Frank Gardner, the 15-year-old so« of Mr H. B. Gardner (says the “Poverty Bay Herald”). He arrived safery home about 4.30 p.m., having tramped all the way from the place where he was freed to his father’s house, and but for being tired and hungry he appeared none the worse for his exciting day;

His bedroom was situated a short distance from his father’s premises m 'Gladstone Road, and somewhere about 1 or 2 a.m. he was awakened by the sound of voices near his room. Thinking it peculiar that anyone' should be about the yard a,t that time of night, the lad looked through his window and was amazed to see a man clambering through a side window: Hastily dressing, he ran round to a side door, meaning to awaken his father. As he reached the door it was , opened from the inside and the intruder appeared. At the sight of the boy the man dashed out into the street, le'aving behind him a number of articles which he had gathered for removal.

The youth pluckily followed the man. On reaching Gladstone Road he found he had disappeared. Running down to the corner of the street, he then noticed a car standing by the footpath, with a man nearby. This man inquired: “Are you looking for somebody?” With the idea of tackling fbe questioner the youth approached the car, but then a second man appeared from inside and hauled the lad in, threatening to “smash him” if he made an outcry.

A fast run- out into the country followed, and often tidily thd kidnapped lad was released beyond AVaikoho. Forgetting that he could tele” phone for assistance, he then set out to tramp homeward, keeping to the railway line in the belief that he was least likely to- stray from such a route. On his long pvalk of 25. miles the lad spoke to several surfacemen engaged in the line, but otherwise he saw practically nobody until he reached the town. He had suffered no injuries in his souffle with the burglars.