A BURGLAR CHASE.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 82, 23 August 1912, Page 6

A BURGLAR CHASE.

IX A ISOARDIXGTIOUSE. Auckland, August 10. 'tumarvo," a Symonds street boanl"ighouse, was raided early yesterday morning by a burglar, who. though fairly successful in Jils depredations, was fortunately surprised by one of the boarders, am] chased out of the establishment fne boarder in question, when returning Irom the bathroom, saw a dark ti<nm, skulking at the other end of the passage, then jumping into the shade of a large cupboard. Lighting a candle, the young man went forward, sayim* "Is that you, Mr. 11 ,» mentioning the name of one of the other boarders ins, I am just going to my room," he replied, dashing down the stairs at a furious rate. This confirmed the suspicion that he was a burglar, and he was pursued. Reaching the bottom landDig, he turned to his right, running alon<* to the lower verandah door, which he slammed with an indignant bang. Imagining that he had sought refuge in the bathroom, his pursuer woke up another gentleman boarder, asking him to follow out if he heard a scuffle, but, on gofn" to secure his man, great was the liunfer's wrath to find that the burglar had disappeared dawn the lire escape, which is attached to the verandah. A rustlin" of the leaves and breaking of branche's below told of the thief's Might into the gully which lies at the back of Svmonds street, As it was useless to'pursue through the darkness in the maze of bushes and backyards, the awakened hoarders returned to count the losses of the night. Evidently the burglar had entered two bedrooms on the"landin" which is level with the street. One "en" tleman had 7s (id taken out of "one pocket, but, strange to. say, the thief did not touch the other pocket, in which I here was about £3 in money. i n an . other room the thief extracted 14s from a young man's pocket, as well as the top of a cheap stud, a strange thin" to eovct. lie also lifted a s.lver watch and card-case but his cunning caused him to leave these behind on the table of the hall, probably because of afteridentilication, r n the course of his penu; dilations he must have knocked against. :he dinner gong. This was found on the Jloor below the nail on which it is usually suspended. His heel marks were clearly impressed on the verandah. These indicated that they were of rubber, while the scratched soil on the section adjoining indicated that he had slipped when jumping oil' the lire-escape This burglary is not an isolated case in Symonds street. A fortnight ago another Symonds street boardinghousc was broken into, and many of the bedrooms ransacked. Pockets in this case were also the burglar's objective.