PERSISTENT BURGLARS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 13 January 1939, Page 9

PERSISTENT BURGLARS

ATTACKS ON JOHANNESBURG CAFE. PLACE ENTERED FIFTEEN TIMES. JOHANNESBURG. December 12. For the 15th time in eight months Philip’s Cafe in Mayfair West was broken into recently and for the fourth time a struggle, in which firearms were used, occurred between the housebreakers and the proprietors. The cafe has lost nearly £2OO in the series of burglaries. The position became so bad that an assistant now sleeps behind the shop, and the proprietor, Mr P. Nicolaides, has increased his armoury to two revolvers, one automatic pistol and a shotgun.

At about 4 o’clock in the morning the assistant heard the sound of a brick crashing through the plate-glass window. By the time he had called Mr Nicolaides, who lives next door, the intruders had disappeared. It was seen, however, that the gate of an empty house close by was ajar, and on entering thdy found two natives hiding in the bathroom. The natives sprang at them, and Mr Nicolaides fired, but his pistol jammed. One native knocked the gun from his hand with a screwdriver and grappled with him. The assistant, who had stunned the other native with a brick, went to his assistance and was bitten on the hand. They managed to subdue the native only after two helpers had come to their assistance. It was found that the second native had recovered/ and disappeared during the struggle. The proprietors had two similar experiences in the last month. On the first occasion they chased three housebreakers for a quarter of a mile, firing continually, and managed to catch and arrest one after a struggle. On the second occasion three natives escaped into the plantations after a chase of more than a mile.