AMMONIA THROWN

Evening Star, Issue 21317, 23 January 1933, Page 8

AMMONIA THROWN

ATTACK OH YOUNG WOMAN [Special to the ‘ Star.'l AUCKLAND, January 21. A dastardly attack upon a young married woman who was asleep in tna front bedroom of a house, in Carltou Gore road at 11.30 on Thursday night was made by an. unknown man, who raised the window and threw a quantity of ammonia at her. Fortunately* the liquid did not quite reach the woman’s face, otherwise she might have lost her eyesight. Just inside the front, window there was a table upon winch, stood an ornament in the shape of a> large, dressed doll, and it is thought/ that the assailant’s aim was deflected., A large quantity of fluid was spilt on? the floor and walls of the room just beneath the window frame. Ihe liquid; quicklv coagulated, and it is belieiecl that "some other equally dangerous chemical was mixed with the ammonia.i The victim of the attack was a young married woman who resides with her, parents. Her husband was absent on! Thursday night, and she occupied ai large front bedroom by herself. Her father was away from the city, and the young woman was alone, her mother and "sister having gone to the house ofl a relative, a, block or so away. “ I was dozing off when I heard the blind rattle a little,” the young woman told a reporter. “As the night was so hot I left the window a few inches open at the bottom. I did not taka’ much notice of the blind rattling, aa it often does that. I did not hear see anyone walking on the verandah outside the window, hut I afterwards! heard the window being lifted. I then knew that something was wrong. Before I could realise what was happening 1 heard a noise like water being thrown' on the floor. None of the liquid came near the bed, which is situated six or| seven feet away from the window, but| the fumes immediately overcame me* and I could not see. I could not open! my eyes, and they hurt me terribly./ The fumes were so strong that I could hardly breathe. I managed to get out of bed and got a torch, and, after soma' time, I groped my way out of the room and into the passage.” Even two hours after the attack on’ the young woman, the fumes were so strong that it was almost impossible for anyone to remain in the house without becoming affected through them.