HOUSEMAID'S HUMOUR

Hawera Star, Volume L, 19 December 1930, Page 5

HOUSEMAID'S HUMOUR

* SURPRISE FOR- BURGLAR. AN “APPLE-PIE” BED. A London housemaid’s sense of humour was responsible for the escape of a burglar whom she surprised in the act of stealing jewellery belonging to Mi’s Michael Lubbock, - daughter-in-law of Mr Cecil Lubbock, a director of the Bank of England. One evening a burglar scaled the outside of Mr Lubbock’s house and entered Mrs Lubbock’s bedroom. A few minutes later a housemaid noticed that one side of the bed was- not turned down. She promptly turned back the coverlet and saw one of Mrs Lubbock’s jewel-cases lying in the bed. The housemaid smiled, thinking that one of Mr Lubbock’s relatives had been playing a practical joke in the -shape of an “apple-pie” bed._ Rather than spoil the fun,'she replaced the coverlet and went to her bed. All the time, the police have discovered, the surprised burglar must have been hiding behind a bathroom door not two yards away. As soon as the housemaid disappeared he stepped out and recovered the jewels which he had thrown into the bed when disturbed. Mr and Mrs Lubbock were playing the gramophone when he passed out of the front door. The intruder left most of the valuable jewellery behind, however, and got away with only about £SO worth.