POLITE BUNGALOW BURGLAR.

Taranaki Daily News, 24 July 1920, Page 10

POLITE BUNGALOW BURGLAR.

APOLOGY FOR DISTURBED SIESTA. DOORSTEP COMEDY. We read in these columns last week of two burglars holding up a family at lunch when, while one chatted pleasantly to the frightened females, liis companion rifled the house. A somewhat similar case is that of Crookliam—significant name—"bungalow village" of the Aldershot district, which has lately proved a happy resort for polite burglars.

The gang which hns found its operations so pleasant, wires a Daily Chronicle correspondent, have certainly introduced a new style in housebreaking, and their success mny be measured by the fact that up to date no arrests have been made. Bungalow residences, each well encircled with diminutive plantations, helped the plans of the thieves. Operations opened in daylight in the Basingstoke Boad, where a bedroom window of "The Orchards" was forced. WHEN THE SLEEPERS WAKED. Failing to find anything worth stealing here, the thieves moved to the drawing-room, where they surprised the lady of the house, while she was indulging in a siesta. Bowing their apologies to the astonished lady, the men—three of them—rapidly withdrew, and made good an escape through the pinewoods before an alarm could be raised.

Three days later intruders were disturbed at "The Coppice" before they had made any haul, but shortly after the "Log Hut" bungalow was successfully raided in the absence of its tenants, a considerable quantity of valuable goods being removed, . .

DISCRIMINATE THIEVES. In view of these happenings the community organised a watch, Vint the gang paid a second visit to "The Coppice/' i and this time were rewarded. They ransanked every room, and showed some taste in the articles removed, taking only such as, not only being of value, were devoid of identification marks. The slot gas meter was also relieved of its store, a neat hols being cut in the metal door. Next day two more bungalows were rifled, and in the evening the most surprising coup of all was effected —a last, melo-drainatic effort, it is locally hoped. TELLING THE TALE. Two well-dressed men knocked at the front door of a bungalow, and in excited tones asked the lady who answered their appeal if she had heard of tlie burglary just effected in the next dwelling-—some 70 yards distant. One of the men described in detail

how the occupier of the "raided" house had been chatting with a postman, and while doing so had been robbed of two £ 1 notes among other items by a burglar who had forced an entry toy a back window. The agitated lisloner heard them out, only to find on returning to her draw-iiifr-.room that while she had been so occupied her own premises had been relieved of a quantity of silver and all the loosp .money in the bungalow I.