DARING BURGLARY. Exciting Experience of a Parnell Grocer, Told in His Own Words.

Te Aroha News, Volume II, Issue 103, 23 May 1885, Page 6

DARING BURGLARY. Exciting Experience of a Parnell Grocer, Told in His Own Words.

One of the most audacious burglaries and robberies with violence that it has been our lot to chronicle for some time occurred at Parnell early on Sunday, May 17, the victim being Mr Julius Mechlenberg, a grocer carrying on business in Stanleystreet, Parnell. The circumstances were related by Mr Mechlenberg to a Star reporter this morning. His statement is us follow:— My name is Julius Mechlenberg, and I am a native of England. I keep a small grocery store in Stanley -street, near the Swan Hotel. lam a single man, and live alone. ; I closed my shop at 11.30 on Saturday, and | walked up to Brighton. On returning, 1 went to bed about 12.30. I sleep in a bedroom opening off the shop. I had £12 in | notes, and some 11s in silver in my trousers pocket. 1 left my trousers on a box standing on the table at the foot of the bed. I had not been asleep more than a few ! minutes when I heard the falling of a piece of glass, the noise apparently coming from the shop. I took little notice of this occurrence, as I knew there were rats in the premises. I went oft' to sleep again, and I might have been asleep five or ten minutes, when I was aroused by a light proceeding fiom the shop. Before I had time to shake oil* the sleep a man sprang forward and seized me by the throat. I lay in bod. My eyes were then wide open, but the compression on my throat was so great that I could not utter a word. The man was a powerful man, and I could not movo. He was a thick-set young man, about 5 feet 10 inches high, and had no hair on his face. Just as ho grabbed my throat the match went out. Through the dim moonlight I could Bee another man in the room searching my clothes. Both the men then ran out into the shop, and I heard the voice of a woman, who had evidently been keeping watch outside the- shop, call " Come." 1 then heard the shop door pulled open, and heard their footsteps. I jumped out of bed as rapidly as I could— l am a cripple, and am suffering from a nervous complaint caused by being assaulted in Parnell by some larrikins two years ago— and saw the two men and a woman running past a gas-lamp in Stanley street, about fifty yards from the shop. The woman was tall and thin, and wore a hard felt man's hat. I have no suspicion as to who the parties are, but think 1 could recognise the man who caught me by the throat. I returned to the shop,and saw that my pockets were turned out and the money missing. I proceeded to the Parnell police station and gave information to Constablo Hobson, in whose company 1 subsequently went to the city police station. Entrance to the shop was obtained through one of the front windows, which was filled with goods. Tho burglars must havo first removed the half shutters that cover the window, and then broke two panes of glass and got through the opening.