STRUCK WITH CUDGEL

Taranaki Central Press, Volume IV, Issue 452, 8 June 1937, Page 6

STRUCK WITH CUDGEL

WOMAN’S TERRIFYING EXPERIENCE Burglar Pleads Guilty In Court Press Association 1 —Copyright. Christchurch, June 7. Wetaring a bandage round her head, Mrs Grace Abbott, of Faraday Street, Sydenham, entered the witness box- in the Police Court today to give evidence against Frederick Thomas Wilder, labourer, aged 22 years, wh'o was charged with breaking and entering her house by night on May 30 and causing her bodily harm. He pleaded' guilty and was committed to the Supreme Court for sentence.

Mrs Abbott said she lived alone. On Saturday, May 29, she went to bed before- midnight!, after locking arid bolting the doors' and windows. In the early hours she was awakened by a blow which dazed her. She was struck again and then heard her door bang and footsteps retreating.

“I screamed' and then jumped! out of bed,” said Mrs Abbott. Going to the kitchen door, she found it being held aglainst. her. She pushed ft open and found a man in the room, the light being on. “He turned to run and I threw myself at him and he seemed to be going to strike me,” continued Mrs Abbott, who said that she recognised her ahsailant as Fred Wilder.

“1 said, 'Freddie, what lare you dong here?’ He replied, ‘What am I doing? How diid 1 get here?’” Wilder told Mrs Abbott that he had been s-truek on the head by a motorcar. Wilder remained in the house until about 6.45 in the| morning. He said that he had come for money. Wilder showed her a cudgel, leladweighted with a rubber handle, with which he had struck her. Mrs Abbott said she took Wilder home in a taxi, picking up his cycle on the way. When they arrived at Wilder's home he climbed over the fence and disappeared. She went in and saw his pla rents. Dr. Vivian said he considered that Mrs Abbott had been lucky to escape more serious injury.

Wilder in a siatcmmt said he had’ made the cudgel nirt* days before. He had broken into a house on May 29. He decided to break into Mrs Abbott's' home. When he was- searching her room for money she moved, so he struck her. She screamed and he struck her again. Then he went out of the room.

Later Wilder said he helped Mrs Abbott to bathe her head and she drove him home.

Wilder said he wanted money to go to the country to get work. He was a farm labourer and was unemployed.