BURGLAR SURPRISED.

Otaki Mail, 5 January 1923, Page 4

BURGLAR SURPRISED.

FOUND UNDER A BED. LOATH TO HEAVE COVER. PERMITTED TO DEPART. How a burglar, who, seemingly, was an amateur housebreaker, gained entry into a house in the Rocky Nook district, Auckland, and, .after beingcaught, was permitted to depart by the front door, is a matter which is now. engaging the energies of the Auckland detectives, says The Herald.

i Tlic burglary took place on Tuesday evening when the occupants of the Louse were at a theatre. Returning at j about a quarter to nine . o'clock they

noticed that the front bedroom window had-been opened during their absence. J Cautiously entering', the man, with his wife and daughter, began a systematic : search. A drawer in a bedroom was ■ found, opened, but nothing had been ' taken. The daughter then missed £5 from her room. Finally the searchers • came to the front bedroom, and the daughter, looking under tho bed with j a candle, saw a man hiding there. She i at once summoned her father and he orI cleied tho burglar to come out. i "Raffles," however, refused. He said ! that if he did so they would see his

1 face. He had been carefully covering his features so far.

As Raffles persisted in his desire, to remain hidden, refusing to budge from be'ncath the bed, the only alternative was to shift the bed itself, and this was done. Hut the burglar was . quite equal to the occasion, for as the bed , was shifted he moved himself with it. Finally the resident caught the modest one by the wrist, and seeing the game of hide and seek was finished, he allowed himself to be captured. But even ihen his desire lo remain incognito was unabated, and throughout the subsequent proceedings hi' hid as much of iiis face as possible in 1 lie upper part of his coat. And, thus partially masked, he spun a yarn of distress lo which the occupants courteously listened.

Raffles told of his misfortunes —how he had come from England six months ago, and how hardly things had gone with him. It may be asked why he was not at once arrested and handed over to the police. The answer is that the owner of the house is an elderly man, who has rcceutlv been in feeble health, and was

physically unable to tackle any burglar

who, for aught he knew, might prove / a tough customer, if cornered. The missing money Mas duly handed back by the. burglar, who, no doubt, fully appreciated the treatment ho had received, remarked: "You've played fair with me, so I'll [day fair with you." Desiring, owing to his feeble health, not lo have any struggle or further scene, the resident then allowed the muffled man to depart by tho front door. He was quite convinced that tlid burglar was an amateur, and he points out (hat during tho time they were searching the other portions of.the house, it would have been simple for him to have escaped from (he room in which he had hidden himself. There yould seem to be little likelihood of identification. If was noted, However, that the man, who was respectably dressed, had red hair. 1 After tho unwelcome one had taken his departure, the resident deemed it his duly to in form tho police, thinking that possibly the man might be paying visits to the houses of others in the district. The police are now anixous to get into touch with a red-headed Englishman, who speaks with an accent - suggesting that he comes from the .Midlands.