WOMAN'S ORDEAL.

Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 147, 23 June 1928, Page 3 (Supplement)

WOMAN'S ORDEAL.

FIGHT WITH MASKED MEN.

BLOWS TO SAVE HUSBAND.

A woman s plucky encounter with alleged, masked burglars when they attacked her husband in bed was vividly described at Marylebone Police Court in a grave case against two men. George Warren (21), a butler, and Jack Leroy (24), handyman, of King Edward Street, Lambeth, were charged with being concerned with a third man—not yet arrested committin g a burglary at the house of Mr. and Mrs. Jacobs, Park Square East, Kegent s Park, on Easter Sunday morning, stealing clothing, and wounding Mr. Gaskell Jacobs with intent to commit murder. Both men were sent for trial. Warren, it was stated, had been in Mr. Jacobs' service as a butler for six months. Mrs. Jacobs, a short woman, said she was awakened about 5.15 by wild shrieks and thuds. She jumped out of bed and rushed to her husband's bedroom, where she saw Mr. Jacobs standing at the foot of the bed, surrounded by three masked men. He was bleeding from a cut across the forehead, and the side of his face was badly marked. One of the man had his hand across her husband's mouth, to silence him. "I butted him with my head," she said, "andv then wrenched my husband frem them, threw him on thp i bed, and turned to the men. The tallest one I knocked on the jaw, and he flew down- j stairs. The other two I knocked with my elbows, and one of them followed the first man. The third man I caught by the coat. He jumped the stairs, and I jumped with him, holding on to his coat. Some instinct seemed to remind me of Warren, and I shrieked out, 'Is Warren in his bedroom? If not, I have him here.' As the man wrenched himself out of my grasp his hat and hia mask fell off and dropped through the banisters. I ran downstairs after him." Mr. _ Clayton (prosecuting): Did you recognise him as your butler, Warren?— Yes, because of his limp. "I ran downstairs," continued Mrs. Jacobs, "and followed the men to the top of Park Square Kast, but was unable to go further because I was in my nightdress and bare feet, and the streets were wet and slippery. I then went back to see to my husband, and sent for the doctor and the police." Telephone Smashed. When Detective Sergeant Henstridge was called to the house he found the telephone wires cut, the telephone wrenched from the wall, and Mr. Jacobs in a dazed condition, suffering from serious injuries to the face and head. Warren, when arrested, is alleged to have said that "if it hadn't been for Mrs. Jacobs screaming we should have brained the old man and got his safe open." Leroy was arrested later, and is alleged to have threatened to kill the person who "shopped" him. He was identified as a man who called at Mr. Jacobs' house late the night before the affair and asked for No. 13. Mr. Jacobs, giving evidence, said he was a company director. Warren had been in his service about six months as a butler*. On Saturday, April 7, witness and his wife went to the theatre and returned home shortly after 11 o'clock. They went to bed about midnight. Witness occupied

H .he .front room 011 the second floor and his ./ife slept in an adjoining room with their two daughters. Mr. Jacobs said he was awakened by a smashing blow across his head, and he then saw three men in the room. The electric light w&s on. Two men were on the left-hand side nearest to him, at the foot of the bed, and the third man was standing at the foot of the bed on the other aide. Witness struggled away from the two men towards the one, and

then screamed out, "Eor God's sake don't kill me. Take what you want." He then got out of bed, and at that moment he heard screams outside and Mrs. Jacobs entered the room. A towel roller was produced, and Mr. Jacobs said it looked like the weapon with which he was struck. He was struck by more than one man about the face and head. Mr. Jacobs went on to say that all three men were masked, and had their coat collars turned up. The men went downstairs, followed by his wife and himself, and on reaching the street he recognised one of the men as his butler. Warren, by his limp. Mr. Jacobs added that in his bedroom he kept a safe containing jewellery to the value of £1500, the key of which he kept in hiß trousers pocket. The police produced a statement alleged to have been made by Warren, in which he stated that he intended staying with Mr. Jacobs until he could get a good reference and then get another situation where he might have brought off a good coup. He had no intention of doing anything to Mr. Jacobs until a week before, when he met a man and they arranged to do this "job." He let two men into the house and told them where to go and then waited i downstairs for them.