Desperate Fight With Burglar

Manawatu Times, Volume LV, Issue 6865, 23 May 1932, Page 6

Desperate Fight With Burglar

Plucky Woman Helps Husband TWO MEN ATTEMPT TO EOB P.O. AND STORE Per Press Association. AUCKLAND, Last Night. A daring .attempt to rob the Alfriston post office and store early on Sunday morning was frustrated by the timely appearance of the owner, Mr. S. E. Gregory, who surprised two men as they were making an entry into _ the post office from the 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. Mr. Gregory’s timely appearance was due to the installation of an alarm system which ho 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. ‘‘l seized an unloaded shotgun and quietly' entered the store by the rear door. 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 light streak brightened. There were sounds of the door being forced, and 1 signalled my wife, who had followed mo, 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 hats down over.their eyes. They wore 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 room and bolted to the roadway. 1 dashed after them, caught hold of one man as he was running through the door, and pulled him back. He apparently saw that escape was impossible without a fight, and he hit out at my r 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 live 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 long-handled slasher standing in the store, and came at me with it. He did not use the blade, but tried to knock me wdth the wooden handle. “Realising that I could not secure my man without knocking him out, I called to my w'ifo to hit him. She had been present all the time, but could not got a chance to grip the man, so violent was our struggle. Mrs. Gregory seized a chopper, a long-bladcd steel instrument, and struck at the man. The first blow hi.' his hand, and the second struck his head and caused a slight wound. He immediately sank to the floor and surrendered.” Mr. Gregory said ho Stood guard over the man while his wife telephoned Constable Muloney, of Papatoetoc, 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. “I understood this fully, said Mr. Gregory, “when after his capture 1 recognised the man as a former resident of the district.” Gregory’s clothing bore signs of the desperate struggle. His pyjama coat ■was practically in ribbons. Mrs. Gregory, who pluckily rendered valuable assistance in securing the intruder, said she had no alternative but to hit him. "The situation was getting desperate, and knocking tho 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-” , Mr. Gregory has been owner of the Alfriston store and postmaster tkero for the past five years. He served in the Indian Army.