A YOUNG WOMAN'S PLUCKY FIGHT

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2991, 31 January 1917, Page 5

A YOUNG WOMAN'S PLUCKY FIGHT

.With intruder. Before Mr, L. G. Reid, S.M., in tho. Magistrate's Court yesterday, Harold Gladstone Ollivor appeared on a. charge of being in a dwellinghouse by night with intent to commit a crime. Inspector Hendroy prosecuted, and Mr. H. F. O'Leary defended. According to the police May Valan,•fcine Gutteridge, ocoupying a room at tho Kenilworth Private Hotel, where accused was employed as porter, was aroused about 2.40 a.m. on Sunday, January 28, by the sound of someone ; approaching her bed. Tho intruder was the accused, who ordered her. not to mate a noise, and thi«s.tened to shoot her if she did. Being a plucky young woman, she grappled with the man, and was dragged through the window and on to the fire-escape, ■where accused succeeded in freeing Jiimself from her grasp. Constable Pudding, who saw accused ran into the street, pursued him, and took him back to the hotel. There Miss Gutteridge taxed Olliver with attempting to rob her. She also accused him of having presented a revolver, but he said that the weapon was ouly a water-pistol. The housemaid next morning discovered a water-pistol in the room where the struggle had taken place. Nothing wae actually stolon by accused. The latter's statement to the police was that ho had been drinking on the night in question and, having slept in his own room until he was fairly sober, had gone to.Miss Gutteridge's -room, not knowing that it was occupied. His intention had been to sleep there, as he had (according to his own statement) slept there on other occasions. 'After arresting the accused, the constable found that .the door pf the letter's room was locked from tho inside, which led to tho presumption that Olliver had quitted it by the window/ After the evidence of a number oi Vllnesses for the prosecution had been taken, the case was adjourned till today, on the application of Inspector Hendrey. Accused was allowed bail .in the sum of £100, with' two sureties each of, £50.