A SINGULAR STORY OF A SUP. POSED ROBBERY.

Manawatu Herald, Volume II, Issue 270, 28 May 1889, Page 2

A SINGULAR STORY OF A SUP. POSED ROBBERY.

The police were made acquainted on Saturday evening with particulars of an extraordinary robbery which is said to have oeourred at the residence of Mrs Trueman, living with her husband \n Coombe street (off Tasman street), at Newtown. The affair; as related by Mrs Trueman, is said' to have taken, place at a time when that lady, who is subject to fits, had an attack com* ing on, and consequently the detectives are. Somewhat inclined to doubt whether the whole circumstances is not the imagination of t\ disordered mind. The facts, how-r ever, ai'e these : — About 10 minutes to 7 o'clock on Saturday evening Mrs Trueman, in a very agitate! state of mind, ran into the honse ot Mr H. Beck, a neighbour, and re. lated to them that while she wag preparing tea for her husband some person of tall stature, and wearing a mask and overcoat, stealthily entered the house, and oatching her unexpectly by the throat, pointed a pistol at her and threatened to shoot her unless she handed him all the money in the house. She gave the intruder about 34s or 355, and he then ransacked the bedroom, telling her that if she remained quiet she would not be harmed. While the man was performing - his search, Mrs Trueman says she left the house and ran *for assistance. This was the stoty, and theneighbors, knowing Mrs Trueman had frequently acted very eccentrically when suffering from her periodical attacks, hardly credited it, but after Mrs Beck had visited the ho tse with Mrs Trueman, and found the bedroom all in disorder, it was considered advisable that the matter should be investigated, and the police were accordingly informed. Detective Benjamin, who undertook an enquiry into the affair, has ascertained from Mr Trueman that his wife has certainly had in her possession some 83s, the balanoe of money which he gave her on Priday. Mr Trueman, however, is himself rather insredulous about his wife's story knowing her affliction. The detective states that Mrs Trueman bears no mark of the alleged v'io • lence. A little daughter who wao in the house at the time of the supposed robbery says that she heard someone turniog over things in her mother's bedroom, ajd also heard a foo atep, but of this she took no notice, thinking it was her mother. Persona wha were passing along the street near house at about the hour also state that they saw no man leaving the house. Further enquiry is being made into the extraordinary affair.