NOCTURNAL ADVENTURE.

Auckland Star, Volume LV, Issue 77, 31 March 1924, Page 4

NOCTURNAL ADVENTURE.

A MAN IN THE DARK. AT THE HEAD OF THE BED. GIRL'S PRESENCE OF MIND. To find a. man standing at the head of her bed, fumbling in the darkness with a box of matches, was the "alarming experience of Miss Jane Graham, aged 15, a resident of Kohimaraina. She awoke at 2.45 a.m. on Tuesday last, saw the man in the tent in which she slept, and screamed. The man placed his hand on her mouth, and then applied a hard pad, using considerable force, so that Miss Graham's face was bruised in two places. "I pulled his hand away, screamed, and kicked him in the chest," is the way in which Miss Graham describes what took place. The man fled. Miss Graham then sat up and lit the candle, in order to see the time. She was alone when disturbed by the intruder, her mother being away, and her brother, who occupied another tent nearby, being absent, engaged on night work. On examining the tent Miss Graham found that nothing was missing. In entering the man had undone the laced flap at the entrance. The incident was reported to the police and* Detective O'Brien was assigned to the ease. Within a short time he "had his man," for on interviewing a youth of 18, who lived nearby, a full confession was obtained. The youth admitted that he had gone to the tent to see what he conld steal. On th_*"jprevious night he had gone to bed in the usual -way, but had awakened early in the morning. He got up and dressed, afterwards going to the tent. He admitted that he knew that Mrs. Graham was absent. The object of his visit was not to harm Miss Graham, but to see what he could steal, as he was short of money, being out of work. The youth appeared at the Police Court to-day, and pleaded guilty to a charge of having broken into the dwelling of Mrs. A. Graham with intent to commit a crime. Mr. Ferner asked the Magistrate to reduce the charge to one of attempted theft, so that accused need not go to the Supreme Court for sentence. Mr. <L W. Poynton refused to do this. It was a serious matter, he said. This sort of thing might lead to the perpertration of all sorts of crimes. Accused was committed to the Supreme Court for sentence. He was allowed bail of £100, and was ordered to repo-t daily to the police.