SENSATIONAL BURGLARY.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXIV, Issue 1097, 23 January 1912, Page 4

SENSATIONAL BURGLARY.

BRAVERY OF THREE

WOMEN

A sensational case of burglary occurred at Nailsworth, a suburb of Adelaide (S.A.) early on the morning of Sunday week, when the inmates of the residence of Mr S. J. Blitz, a well-known dental surgeon, immediately opposite the police station, were held up by three masked burglars between 3 and 3.30. The burglars prized opened the dining-room window, and while two of them entered the dwelling the third kept guard outside. The house was occupied by Mr and Mrs Blitz, who were sleeping in the front bedroom, and their daughters, Sophie, Jeannie, Sarah and Kate, who occupied three bedrooms in the back part of the house. The intruders first entered the rooms of the young ladies, two of whom on being awakened found themselves confronted by armed and masked men. Miss Kate was not aroused by the unwelcome intrusion, and the burglars respected the plea that she should uot be disturbed as she was in delicate health. Miss Sarah Blitz screamed loudly for help, and one of the men, pointing a revolver at her, ordered her to be quiet, and tell him where a certain bag was. Her cries aroused the father and mother, into whose room one of the intruders walked, and, pointing his revolver at Mr Blitz, began to search for money. Miss Sarah Blitz continued to call for help, and while the burglar, who had seized her roughly by the arms, was trying to silence her, Sophie and Jeannie ran from the house to summon assistance. Miss Sophia was held up by the man on guard, who threatened to shoot her if she did not go back. She promised to do so, and to make no noise if he would take an oath to leave her parents alone. The promise was given, and she returned to the house. Miss Jeannie, however, managed to elude the guard, and scaling the fence, gave the alarm to the police, The intruders, while keeping Blitz covered with their revolvers, searched the drawers of the wardrobe for money, but without succes. Then they opened the front door, and while they stood conversing on the step Blitz seized his loaded revolver, which he had concealed under his pyjamas, and proceeding to the open door, said to the men, “Look here, old fellows, you need not fear ; it is over now, and you will hear no more about it.” He then drew his revolver and fired shots at both men, each of whom was not more than a yard away. He immediately jumped across the hall towards the drawing-room, and as he did so the burglars fired three shots, two of which lodged in the plaster of the wall, the third grazing his pyjama coat and perforating the hall curtains, finally lodging in the wall. They then decamped. Miss Kate Blitz slept soundly through the whole disturbance.