Daring Burglary in Sydney. A SKILFUL "JOB." A Lady's Awful Experience.

Te Aroha News, Volume V, Issue 249, 24 March 1888, Page 5

Daring Burglary in Sydney. A SKILFUL "JOB." A Lady's Awful Experience.

Among all the daring robberies which liave been commi'ted in the suburbs of ■Sydney during the past few months theie ds perhaps not one in which so ninoh actual during has been shown by the ■housebreakers as that which was carried on at Itandwick early on Sunday week. The occurrence has thrown the Itandwick residents into a state of absolute 'fear, and has put the police very decidedly •on the gui vive. Considering that there are about six plain clothes constables and de'toefcives engaged in the matter, there should .speedily be an end to these daring burglaries.

For some time past the police have had their suspicions on an old Melbourne notoriety, but he is believed to have lately decamped ; whether such is the case or not will soon be disclosed. The burglary which isnow under notice occurred at a house in St. Mark's Koad, Randwick, occupied by Mr A. H. Prince. It appears that on Saturday last Mrs Trine© went to bed at the usual hour, and, being in delicate health, loft tho gas burning in her room, as she has been accustomed to do for some time past. Tho wmdow and door of tho bedroom were also left open. Between 4 and 5 o'clock on Sunday morning Mrs Prince was disturbed by hearing a loo&e board in her bedroom cloaking, "and waking up, sho could, to her horror and dismay, distinctly hear tho sound of someone ransacking and rummaging the chest of drawers, and pass to tho" dining and drawing-room. Mr Prince is away in Molbourne, and knowing her unprotected state, the lady thought it best not to movo. Soon after the men, for theie must have been two of them, entered (ho bedroom, where the gas was still burning, and went boldly about their work, picking up jewellery on tho dressing table and generally hunting around. The lady was still lying in bed, wide awake, with her back to the robbers, and was so terrified that sho was quite unable to move. The only attention tho midnight visitors showed to the apparently slumbering lady in the bed was to give an occasional glance at the large pier glasses around tho room by which means they had a full view of everything, and could have noted the slightest movement. The small drawers in the side of the dressing-table were pulled out and left on the floor; and, although the house was well ransacked, only jewellery went. The object of the thieves evidently only included jewellery and money, and the latter they fortunately did not come across. All Mrs Prince's trinkets were removed. They consisted of a gold watch and chain, a diamond ring, another ring set with diamonds and amethysts (one stone missing), and a horseshoe brooch set with pearls— the valuebeingabout£6o. Although unable to see what was goingon, Mr& lVmco was able to hear every movement, and directly the men left she jumped from her bed, and, hastily seizing some ornaments on the mantelpiece, dashed them to the balcony of the next house, thus awaking Mr McCaffery. A search was at once instituted, and" it was then found that tho burglars had been most determined and daring in their enterprise. They first tried to effect an entry through Mr McCaffery s house, but failed. They then borrowed a pair of steps from his place and got into Mr Prince's grounds. There they apparently found some difficulty in gaining admission to tho house, but at last by the aid of a garden roller, climbed up and entered through the fern house at the back. Everywhere throughout the house were signs of the unwelcome visit, and among the traces they left behind them, a pair of whisb markers which had been removed from the drawingroom were found among the ferns. It is a very fortunate circumstance that Mrs Prince did not make any noise when she discovered the visitors, as it is evident it was well known that she and the servant were in the house alone. Mrs Prince is still suffering from the shock she received by the unpleasant affair.