THIEF TRAPPED

Northern Advocate, 13 June 1931, Page 13

THIEF TRAPPED

BY| THE POLICE. HOUSE ENTERED THROUGH HOLE IN ROOF. \ SYDNEY, Juno 8. Early last] week the homo of'Mr T. A. Broadley, in Arthur Street, Kogarah, was broken into. A gold watch and a sovereign-case were stolen. The home was again entered on the following night in the absence of the family, but nothing was missed, the thief having evidently, been disturbed. The police came to the conclusion that the movements of the Broadleys were being watched, and instructed Mr Broadley and his family to leave the house as if they were going out, and Detectives Hardy and Milos bid themselves in the dining-room, Half an hour later they heard sounds on the roof. These wore followed by other noises, just above the coiling, through which eventually appeared the blade of a knife. Big pieces of plaster soon began to fall into the room, and. when a hole sufficiently large had been cut a man dropped through. The detectives seized the man, who, however, fought desperately, and the contents of the room were scattered in all directions before he was secured.

At tho Kogarah Police Station the man was charged with breaking and entering, and with having an unlicensed revolver in his possession. It was afterwards ascertained that tiles had been removed from the roof. _ The same detectives, with DetectiveSergeant Langworthy and .Detective Gep, also took part in an episode of a similar kind, in a house at Solandcr Street, Kogarah, occupied by Mr E. H. Tally. In this case they also had the assistance of a number of friends of Mr Tally, who,' with him, were guests at a party at a house in the neighbourhood. The proceedings were interrupted by a. message to the effect that a light had been seen moving about in Mr Tally’s house., The. guests volunteered to accompany Mr. Tully to his home, to which he gained entrance by breaking a window. Tie was just in time to see a man escape through another window into the backyard. Faced by several of Mr Tully’s friends klie, man fought savagely for freedom, and knocked a man insensible; but, in turn, he succumbed to superior force. He fought, however, until the arrival of the police. He was charged with breaking and entering.