GIRL AND BURGLAR.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXIV, Issue 1000, 24 September 1912, Page 4

GIRL AND BURGLAR.

DESPERATE ENCOUNTER.

GIRL IMPRISONED IN A CUPBOARD.

The story of how a brave servant girl left alone in her mistress’ house fought with an unarmed burglar has just come to light. The girl is Alice Knowles. She is nineteen years of age, and is engaged as a maidservant at the house of Councillor Brinkworth, Durdans, Foxley Lane, Purley. The other afternoon she was left alone in the house, her mistress having gone to the opening of a new wing at the Croydon Hospital, while Mr Brinkworth was engaged at his business place in South Norwood. At 5,30 the girl was upstairs sewing when she saw a man walk up the front garden to the door and

ring. She went to the door, and he walked straight inside and asked if Mrs Brinkworth were in. She replied that her mistress was engaged. What then occurred is not quite certain. At any rate, the man seized hold of the girl, pulled out a jemmy, and th-eatened to murder her.

She struggled violently in the hall and screamed, and he then hit her over the head with the jemmy, and forced her into a cupboard under the stairs.

She was very weak, but she managed to push the door open, and he then struck her two more blows on the head, which rendered her completely unconscious.

To make sure that she would not come out again he went into the drawing room, brought out a settee, pushed it against the door, and then brought an armchair from the dining room, wedging that between the settee and the wall. Having effectually silenced and imprisoned the girl, he went upstairs and rapidly overhauled three rooms.

First ot all he went into Mrs Brinkworth’s bedroom, turned out all the drawers, and threw the things on the floor, and also turned up the bed to see if anything were hidden underneath. He only found, however, a pair of opera glasses. He then went into a back bedroom, opened the wardrobe, took out Mr Brinkworth’s best overcoat, which he put on, and his straw hat, which the thief exchanged for his own hard felt hat. Then he went to the servant’s bedroom and took a black metal watch and xos in silver. Next he entered the bathroom, washed his hands of blood, which had streamed from the girl’s head, and went downstairs, wiping his hands on the towel, which he left in the drawing room.

Soon after he had made his escape the girl Alice Knowles recovered, and by an almost superhuman effort managed to burst open the barricaded door of the cupboard. She was very weak from loss of blood, but she managed to go into the dining room and take a police whistle from the mantelpiece. Then she stood on the doorstep and blew the whistle. Staggering to the gate, she blew again, and then fell down in a state of exhaustion.

Fortunately a policeman on a bicycle heard the sound of the whistle, and quickly rode to the front gate of the house, where he found the injured girl lying on the ground in a state of semi-uncon-sciousness. He sent for an ambulance, and she was taken to the Purley Cottage Hospital, where she is now lying. She has three very severe scalp wounds, but she is expected to recover.