BURGLARS SEEN.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIII, Issue 137, 11 June 1932, Page 10

BURGLARS SEEN.

TWO HOMES ENTERED. HOUSEHOLDER'S ENCOUNTER. MASKED MAN ESCAPES. ALARM GIVEN BY DOG. A thief was surprised in two houses i:i the city during the early hours of this morning, and in each case managed to escape. It ie believed that the same man visited both houses. The fii'ist place entered was a boardinghouse in Symonds Street near the police station. A man and his wife were suddenly awakened at 4.20 a.m., and saw ;i young man stealing it handbag from ilie drawer of a dressing table. Immediately he realised that he had been eon, he ran from the bedroom into the ! :iM, and bolted through the front door, which he left open. He had disappeared before tho startled husband had time to drese and give chase.

Blamed the Cat. "The burglar was evidently barefooted, as he did not make the slightest noise in making his exit," said the husband in speaking of the matter this morning. "We have "a cat named 'Bill' who often sleeps in 6ur bedroom. When 'Bill , wants to get out he usually scratches at the blinds and makes a slight noise. Sometimes he sleeps on a sachet near the dressing table. At 4.20 this morning my wife heard a noise and thought it wae the cat, so she called out, 'Get out, Bill.' This awakened me, and instead of the cat I saw a man standing in front of the dressing table. He had my wife's handbag in his hand. Before I had time to get out of bed he silently stole to the door and escaped." The handbag was worth £3 10/, and besides £4 15/ in cash it contained a rank book, keye, including those of a ■;afe, and other articles. Masked Man Seen. At o a.m. the house of Mr. James A. McFarland, 16, Domain Drive Road, was entered, but nothing was stolen, the intruder making such a quick escape that he left his sand shoes on the front door mat. Within 40 minutes the burgl.ir, who- was discovered in the Symonds Street boardinghouse, could easily have reached Domain Drive Road via the Domain from Grafton Road.

Mr. McFarland said he was awakened at 5 o'clock by his Alsatian dog coming to his bedsi.de and growling. Getting out of bed, he crept along the passage 1 o the main hall, and saw a youth appear I'rom another paseago at the end of the hall. The intruder ran towards Mr. MeFarland, who struck him a blow on the shoulder as he paseed. The man fell ;> gainst -yie wall, but just at this moment Mr. McFarland slipped on the mat, and so miesed his chance of grappling with the youth, who bolted out of the front door, which was open. He slammed the door behind him, shutling Mr. McFarland and his Alsatian in the house.

The intruder had disappeared by the lime Mr. McFarland got outside, having ran along the front lawn and jumping over a hedge. The Alsatian followed the scent of the man to a gap in the hedge.

Handkerchief Around Mouth. Mr. McFarland described the man as Icing between 18 and 20, slim build, about sft sin and about 9st. He was shabbily dreesed and had a dirty white handkerchief tied around his mouth and a dirty brownieh-grey cap pulled down over his eyes. Hβ was barefooted and carried an electric torch, which he lost in the scuffle. A pair of black sand shoes, tied together, were found by Mr. McFarland on the mat outeide the front door. The thief could have left by the back door with lees trouble, as ho was nearer this entrance when first encountered. It is surmised that he went to the front door to pick up his shoes.