MASKED MAN IN HOUSE

Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 281, 27 November 1928, Page 8

MASKED MAN IN HOUSE

RAMARAMA OUTRAGE. GRAVE ASSAULT ADMITTED. ELDERLY WOMAN'S STORY. HELPLESS IN LONELY HOUSE. (By Telegraph.—own Correspondent.) PUKEKOHE, this day. A sequel to the Ramarama outrage on November 12 was the appearance in the Pukekohe Police Court this morning of Frederick Thomas Kelly May, who was charged with committing a grave assault on an elderly woman and was also called upon to answer charges of theft. Messrs. D. R. Hamilton, and A. P. Daysh, Justices of the Peace, presided. Sergeant Doyle conducted the case on behalf of the police. The victim of the alleged assault stated in evidence that a man resembling accused called at her place, a six-roomed house, situated in a secluded spot some distance from the Great South Road, Ramarama on November 7,. and asked for a cup of tea. His request was complied with, and he left. Later on he returned, and asked for a spanner to enable him to repair a bicycle. On November 12 witness retired to bed between 7 and 8 p.m. Some time later she heard a knock at the front door, and subsequently a knock at the back door. She called out, "Who is there?" and the reply came, "Mr. Clark wants to see you." There was a Mr. Clark residing near Runciman, about two miles from witness' residence. Witness replied, "Well, I aan in bed, but I will get up." Witness got up and put on her dressing gown. She went to the front door, but could find no one there. She called out, "Is there anyone there?" but received no reply. She returned to bed, and heard another knock. Man Behind the Door. She again got up, switched on the lights, and opened the front door, but could see no one. When returning to her bedroom again she observed that the bathroom door was slightly open, made an inspection, and discovered a man standing therein -with a handkerchief over his face, and concealing the lower portion of his features. Witness said, "What are you doing here?" and the reply was, "You go back to bed." The man was wearing a dark suit, and wore well polished black boots. Witness tried to escape by the back door, but was prevented by the man, who forced her into the bedroom. He said: "I have a pistol in my pocket." Witness tried to call out, and the man said, "Now, then, none of that." When in the bedroom accused said, "I will go if you go back to bed." She sat down on the side of the bed, and accused sat beside her. Witness then described the nature of the outrage. Forced To Write a Cheque. Continuing, witness eaid accused opened a chest of drawers and examined its contents. Witness later missed a gold ring, a crest, and two suit cases. These were produced in court, and she identified them as her property. Accused asked her if she had any money in the house and where was her purse. She told him that all she had was half-a-crown. Accused found it, and also a cheque book. He asked: "How much money have you in the bank?" and she replied: "Four or five pounds." Accused forced her to write him a cheque.

"How much do you want?" asked witness. Accused/replied: "Seeing that it is near Christmas-time you had better make it £2 5." Witness replied: "You Lave already had half-a-crown," and he said "Make it out for £2 2/6," which witness did. When making the cheque out witnees asked: "What name?" and the reply was: "Robinson." When the cheque was handed to the man he examined it, and said: "Auckandl That's all right!" He took a brown purse from his pocket similar to the one produced in court, and placed the cheque in it. He then asked for a torch, but witness had none. He went through the bedrooms, and left by the. front door, remarking: "Leave the light on, and don't turn it off until I whistle ?" Early sext morning she informed a neighbour of the incident and the matter was reported to the police. Accused told her he had been working for Mr. W. Landou at Bombav. Elizabeth Sharp, wife of Mr. W. J. D. Sharp, Ramarama, said she saw the previous witness on the following morning in a distressed condition. Witness informed her of the outrage and she informed the police. Dr. James McWhirter, of Pukekohe, said he examined the victim of the assault and his findings were consistent with her story. John Morgan Sharp, aged 86 years, residing in a two-roomed whare at the rear of the woman's residence, corroborated the story of a man visiting the place on the morning of November 7. i Later he discovered that a sum of money, about 16/, was missing from his whare. Stolen Property Recovered. Detective Knight, of Auckland, gave evidence to the effect that accused Mas arrested at Whangarei on November 21. Upon accused's arrival in Auckland he made a statement covering all the charges. The gold ring, crest and two suitcases were discovered in his possession and he admitted that they were the property of the first witness. He also admitted that a wallet in his possession was the one in which he had placed the cheque.

Accused, who pleaded guilty to all the charges, was committed to the Supreme Court at Auckland for sentence. He also pleaded guilty to the theft at Manurewa of a bicycle belonging to Mr. John Cecil Polland, and on this charge was sentenced to seven days' imprisonment. He was remanded to December 5 on a charge of stealing a bicycle from Pukekohe East.