SHOT BY A BURGLAR.

Auckland Star, Volume XXX, Issue 142, 17 June 1899, Page 5 (Supplement)

SHOT BY A BURGLAR.

BARMAN'S DESPERATE STKUOGLE

A burglary of a particularly daring character was committed at the Ship Hotel, Tilbury Dock, London, on April 2U. A barman named Edward Digby, who Interrupted the thief, was shot, but lucklly not seriously wounded. His tfssailant succeeded In getting clear away with some £7 odd in cash.

To a press representative Mr H. Reed, the manager of the hotel, gave the pa* ticulars of the affair, so far as he knew them.

'In the first place,' he said, 'I must tell you that this house has a somewhat unenviable notoriety, as it is situated in a particularly rough neighbourhood, and it figured largely In what was known as the "Tilbury Mystery" case when a young ship's officer, who had been here, was found dead in a few inches of water not far from the door.

'On Wednesday night one of the barmen had leave for the evening off, and went to London, and as he was to return

BY THE MIDNIGHT TRAIN

from 3. enchurch-street, which gets here shortly before 1 o'clock, another employee named Ted Digby waited up for him. 1 went to bed shortly after IU, Having' just locked up and taken the monay^frOm the tills, leaving, howevei* a sum. 6f £" 18/6 in the patent check till. About 12 o'clock my wife woke me up, and as she did so I heard a noise as of something falling in the bar below. ' ,

'I got up and went out on the landing, when I heard a shot and heard Digby shout, "Help! Help! I'm shot!" I rushed downstairs, followed by my wife and her sister, and hearing groans went towards the bar, the door of which I found broken open. Here I found Ted Digby lying face downwards on the floor with his coat alight. I turned him over and took off his coat and sent my slster-lri-law to wake up the potman and other barman. Digby had been shot, the bullet passing between the two left-hand pockets of his waistcoat and running round his ribs without doing any more than take a strip of flesh off as if done with a cheesetaster. 'The barman went to the dock policeman on duty on the bridge opposite, but he said HE COULD NOT LEAVE his point, and when asked he was unable to give the address of either of the two local police constables. Meanwhile 1 sent the other lad for a doctor.

'My sister-in-law tried to get some assistance at the station opposite, but could not make anyone hear, so I went to try myself, and saw two of the dock constables on the bridge across the line, but they declined to assist me.although I told them a man had been shot. While I was talking to them Constable Freeman, of the local police, came up and went with me to the house.

Dr. Fowler came about 1 o'clock and attended Digby, who was somewhat badly burned on the arm and left side, and suffering from a blow on the head. He was able to talk, and told me that he was sitting in the kitchen reading, when a dog which was with him began to growi. Then he heard a noise in the bar, and the sound of money' chinking. He went towards the bar, the door of which he found open, and as he entered—there was no light, so he was unable to see—was STRUCK ON THE HEAD and knocked down. He rose and closed with his assailant, who caught him by the throat, and a severe struggle ensued. Digby managed to hit the burglar with his knee, and made him release his grip, and as he did soUhe shot was fired. He is unable to say whether it was by the man he w.as struggling with or by another. The revolver, at any rate, was so close that the powder set his clothes alight. •The thief or thieves effected their escape through the window of a parlour adjoining the bar, and so far there is not clue to their, identity. The police protection here is most inadequate for such a rough neighbourhood. There are two constables to do night and day duty, and they have eleven miles to Cover, so that any crime can be committed almost with impunity.

'Digby has preferred to remain here instead of going to hospital, and is making very satisfactory progress.' ....',... ■'■