ALARM BETRAYS BURGLAR

Hawera Star, Volume LI, 23 May 1932, Page 4

ALARM BETRAYS BURGLAR

CAPTURE IN COUNTRY STORE. WOMAN’S AID IN STRUGGLE. 'By Telegraph—Press Association.) AUCKLAND, May 22. A daring attempt to rob the Alfriston post office and store early on Sunday morning was frustrated by the timelv appearance of the owner, Mr. S. E. Gregory, who surprsied two men as they were making an entry into the post office from a grain room adjoining. After a desperate struggle extending over 20 minutes Mr. Gregory, with the assistance of his wife, overpowered one man, who was taken into custody by the police. Sir. Gregory’s appearance was due to the installation of an alarm system which lie had recently completed following two previous attempts to enter his premises. Describing his exciting experiences, Mr. Gregory, who complained of many bruises, said he was awakened shortly after midnight by the gong of his alarm system. “1 seized an unloaded shotgun and quietly entered the store by a rear door,” he said. “Observing a streak of light under the doorway connecting the store with the grain room I took up a position with the gun pointing directly at the closed door. I heard stealthy movements and the lightstreak brightened. There were sounds of the door being forced, and I signalled my wife, who had followed me. to stand aside.

“As the door slowly opened the store electric lights were automatically switched on and revealed two muffled figures standing in the doorway. They wore overcoats with mufflers drawn up to their faces and their hats were down over their eyes. They were stunned by the sight of the gun and myself, and I called on them to put up their hands. They ducked quickly back into the grain l'oom and bolted to the roadway. I dashed after "them and caught hold of one man as he was running through the door and pulled him back. He apparently saw escape was impossible without a fight, and he hit out at my head and body with his fists. I tried to overpower him without recourse to direct violence and we struggled all over the grain room for about five minutes.

“Wrenching himself free the man ran to the rear door, but this I had locked on entering. Trapped there, we again got into grips, and he desperately resisted all my efforts to pin him. He broke away and. grabbed a longhandled slasher standing in the store and came at me with it. He did not use the blade, but tried to knock me with the wooden handle. “Realising I could not secure the man without knocking him out, I called to my wife to hit him. She had been present all the time but could not get a chance to grip the man, so violent was our struggle. Mrs. Gregory seized a chopper, a long-bladed steel instrument, and struck at the man. The first blow got him on the hand and the second struck his head and caused a slight wound. He immediately sank to- the floor and surrendered.” Mr. Gregory said he stood guard over the man while his wife telephoned Constable Maloney, Papatoetoe, who arrived in a short time and took the man into custody. “During the struggle the man kept his head bent as if anxious to avoid recognition,” added Mr. Gregory: “I understood this fully when after the capture I recognised the man as a former resident of the district.” Mr. Gregory’s clothing bore signs of the desperate struggle. His pyjama coat was practically in ribbons. Mrs. Gregory, who pluckilv rendered valuable assistance in securing the intruder, said she had no alternative but to hit him. The situation was get-, ting desperate and to knock the man out was the only thing to do. -He was struggling fiercely with my husband, who was handicapped in trying to overpower him without injury,” she said. Mr. Gregorv has been the owner ot the Alfriston ‘store and the postmaster there for five years. He served in the Indian army.