A STRANGE BURGLARY.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXX, Issue 429, 27 August 1908, Page 4

A STRANGE BURGLARY.

Gave the Thief instructions.

It does not often happen that a man is an eye-witness of a burglary in his own house, and lemain unconscious of the fact that he is being robbed while keeping up a running commentary with the intruder on the clumsiness of his methods. This odd experience, however, recently occurred to James Nally, a resident of Hawthorn, Melbourne (says the Sydney Telegraph). Nally is an elderly man, and resides at 15 Kent Street, Hawthorn. On Monday at about 9 p.m. he went to bed, taking his little grandson, aged 7 years, with him, and leaving his wife writing in another part of the house. The lamp was turned low in the bedroom.

Shortly after getting into bed Nally saw someone in the room taking his watch out of the pocket of his vest, which hung on a peg. He thought it was his wife, and called out, Don’t pull it like that ; you will break the chain.” Next he heard a fumbling at the chest of drawers. One of the drawers was very violently pulled, as if it had stuck and was being wrenched. Nally, still thinking he was speaking to his wife, said, “You will break the drawer if you pull it like that.” The person evidently took his advice, and the drawer, yielding to more gentle treatment, at once opened. The search of the drawer was soon made, and the room was soon again left to the occupation of Nally and his little grandson. Then the latter cried out in a terrified voice, “That’s not grandma ; it’s a man.” The little fellow had been watching the burglar rummaging the room ; but up till then had been too frightened to speak. Mr Nally immediately got up and searched the house ; but the bold intruder had disappeared. Investigation disclosed that Nally’s silver watch, with gold chain attached, had been stolen, together with a deposit receipt on the E.S. and A. Bank for and a Savings Bank deposit book.