BURGLAR CAUGHT.

Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 247, 18 October 1928, Page 8

BURGLAR CAUGHT.

AFTER TERRIFIC STRUGGLE.

MOUNT ROSKILL SENSATION.

SURPRISED JW HOUs£i.

I'OU-XCr -MAN -STRUCK WITH • IPQN

BAR,

'•BETTER THAN: A MOVIE STUNT.?

Knocked" on the head by a- bugi£|fe whom lie had surprised in his own honiQ. last; nighty Sidney Franklin, a -y&«ng; market'gardener, living in a lonely pajt of Mo.unt Roskill, lies in' bed: todJty, suffering from severe, cuts on tlie>jiead and shock. • '' i . ' ' .■> . v",-v

A man, who ..gave' his name James, - who sis said to .'h»V«S :; Franklin witl&: & heavy , iron held by the p*>lic,e, f > i Albert E> - Frariklinyare market gatdeßr. ers and live in llelrpse .x>ff HiilsH boro' * Road. Melrose Road is a v darfe,' isolated, streetvat ,night and" there few house*.' in* the locality;;y .Sydney'Franklin lives With his wi^e'yiuKa s little bungalow, which is situated about 150 yards distant from his parents i>lddwelling, situated wel) baek from the road and- reached b>y "a long drive. ■ '. ... .> - • .

/'He's Killing Syd." v, s To a "Star" reporter who visited home of Mr. Albert Franklin this morning was told a thrilling story of last night's sensational happening. "Every Wednesday my son, Sydney, and his wife come to our house to spend the afternoon and evening with us. After dinner last night Syd did not feel too well and, accompanied by hist wife, he left here about 7.55 pan. for his home; He had not been gone more than a few. minutes when I heard screams coming from the direction of the road. Then Syd's wife rushed up to our front door. 'There is a burglar in the house-arid he's killing Syd,' she gasped. Fortunately four of the boys—three of my own and Jim Heard —were at home, and we all; rushed over to the other house. The boys, whose ages range from 1.6 to 21, went across the paddock to Syd's .house, while I went yia the drive on to the road, in case the intruder might try to' escape through Hillsboro' Road. Just as L afrived at Syd'i place three of the ;Boys. had got' th«ji bOrglar down and were lyrng on hini.! . Securing some 1 °pe, we t&d; the map up: and brought ?. in l up to poking shed, where we tied him .yrith more, ropeito a post, while one to the Onehuii^ t .st'ationlf Sshcurtly afterwards Cfenstablea;-Johnson Wilkes arrived away undei arrest. -» "I no'>l£?iices with the intruder," added Mr. Franklin, "and 1 tied a rope around his neck in a slip knot. 'March, or IH throttle; you,' J told him, and he marched.'? v.; ■~." You CaiL SearcJi Jfe."

Lying in bed, with Ms head in bandages, Sydney Franklin, although' suffering from his serious injuries, was wonderfully cheerful. "As, my wife and I reached our front gate," he said,. "I noticed; a flare .in the passage through the glass panels of the front door. It went out, but flickered again,, and. I immediately thought that .the.house wias.. on fire. So I rushed around to the back door. The place was securely, locked when we left it at 1 p.m.,yesterday, but I found the back door wide open. I; switched on the electric light, and saw a man, stand-. inj? up in the kitchen. He bolted, alongthe passage towards the front door, which was locked, and I gave chase. He could, not get the door open,, so he smashed the glass panel with a long iron, jeipmy, or crow bar, which he had in his hand. This .instrument was yery heavy and was about 18 inches in length. After catching hold of him I unlocked the front: door and took him outside. 'Let me go, I don't know anything about, the game, or I would not be caught like this. I've got nothing- of yours. You can - search, me.. So I. took him ardund to of the house, in order tg play for time until help arrived from my father's house," continued Mr. Franklin. • •: j - 1 got him' to a windovf of a room • which was lighted, and there I searched im. In his pockets I found my watch' and . chain, also some silver; . The in ruder told me that the silver was not mine. _ Now, do y.ou believe me,' he said.: il?,' ' 1 BtiU think y QU have got ~ le . jnoney that was in my housel' • ' aT C - 'he house, and I'll let you go.' m, V l? v bufc l was Btill holding with wi- t t hold <HUto me, I'lt go with you like a man,' he then said 1 was pretty tired after the struggle 1 had with the man, and was glad for a spell so I let go. The man then ducked away quickly, and ran foT his life. He had only gone six or seven yards when he tripped over an obstacle along the pith and . fell over. I then rushed up. and jumped on him. Then started a bigger than we had had before. We both fought like -one: thing' for quite a few minutes. Just at this stage I could hear my brother, Jim Heard, and my father calling out 'Where are you, SydL' It was then that the man attacked me. He grabbed the iron baf,~ and struck me three hard blows on the'top Of the head with it.' The blows "all fell inthe same pla<:e. and; made a big cut.- It; did not knock me unconscious—l was only, danced,; for I could feel the downthe front of my clothes.. I think I would have, been killed if Iliad not' broken the fall of the iron bar by catching-hold of the man's wrist." 7 , It was through not letting the .man £?> hy keeping him at clone quarters that saved Syd. from being murdered, I tor sure" said his lathe* . •' ■ ■ -

Mf. Franklin, sen., lien stated that Jim Heard and Ernest Franklin were the first to Teach the two struggling men. 1 hey.jboth. knocked the burglar Sown on the ground and sat on him until he and his other son arrived on the scene. When help- arrived, Sydney Franklin struggled home alone: On reaching the front door, weak from loss of blood and the strain of thes ,tremendous fight he had with his issailknt, he fainted. Dr. Elnight: was knd on arrival 'attended to the injured man. Itwasfound necessary to insert a. number of stitches in the heatL' Ifce Monies." J "It-avas tat great. scrap and like ture* stunt, only movies were not in |t," saicfSydhey Franklin. ''Anyhdw ffs all over now, and Pai lucky to be lying here Lu bed. The doctor tells me that I'll be feeling worse to-morrow,.so that's.'cheeri

? The Wrong "Window. • jfpfrideritly tie burglar had not been jin tjie-Jhouse," said Mr. Albert jFiranklin, "lor I think my son disturbed thrnr soon got in; He opened the •catch!qi one ; window in.a side bedroom, probably in ofder to make .a. quick getaway, "biit in his excitement, when heidived for thjjst.window, he mistook it and dived into another, which was locked. .That prevented hun from escaping. Out? side-the hpuse he -threw the jemmy away, r for the police could not find it last night. This morning ISfound it among some pine trees hear the scene of the' struggle:** r Sydney Franklin, is 23 years of "age, and has not been m&rried long. Althdugh not a big man and only weighing about 10 stone, he is a hardy young fellow, as last night's struggle showed. The intruder is a stockily built, medium sized man. The Arrested Man. The man held by-the Franklins, and afterwards taken into custody by Constables Johnson and Wilkes, appeared before the Onehunga Police Court this jddrhing, charged with stealing a witch and chain, the property of Sydney Franklin. Accused, who refused to give the police his name, was remanded to appear at- the. Auckland Police Court tormpEfcowmorning. ,• it- iS underrtood that further charges—. assaulting Sydney Franklin so . as to caifid actual bodily 1 harm- and breaking and entering'Frtinklin's house, are to be preferred against hini to-morrow morning. _ „ the man in . custody stated ' ¥ranklin evening that his name was the police state that thia is not «8 real name. Accused in being to . the • central . police station 'ftry. this afternoon,' nd douht, he will be identified.