SURPRISING A BURGLAR.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 13926, 7 December 1908, Page 7

SURPRISING A BURGLAR.

A LADY'S BRAVERY.

Further particulars of the burglary which occurred at Napier early the other morning, when the intruder was shot in the arm by the lady of the house, are given by the Napier Telegraph as follows: —

Shortly after two o'clock on Wednesday morning, Mrs. R. Williams was aroused from her slumber by what she considered was a burglar. Mr. Williams is at present in Ghsborne, and Mrs. Williams, whose room is on the first floor, slept upstairs on Tuesday night. She was first disturbed by dogs barking, and she lit the candle and started to read. About an hour afterwards she heard a noise downstairs and got up. On reaching the top of the stairs Mrs. Williams, saw a dim light in the diningroom, and went back to get a five-cham-bered revolver which- she always keeps m her room. She hurried downstairs, hoping to catch the man in the dining-room, but evidently he had heard her footsteps, as he was just passing through the front doorway when Mrs. Williams reached the foot of the stairs. She took aim hurriedly, and the bullet not taking effect she discharged a second chamber as the man was descending the steps of the verandah. The intruder immediately dropped .all he had and fled. . , • '.■'• ■'..

Mrs. Williams states that she was not anxious to kill him, but to maim him, and she it- confident that the second shot struck the man in the right shoulder. The first bullet lodged in the framework of the door, which would be about two inches from the man's side. On the second shot being fired the man cried out, "For God's sake, stop firing," and sped round the corner. Mrs. Williams communicated with the police, and an inspection was made of the house. The entrance was made by the drawing-room window, which was found open, and the. visitor took the precaution to open the front door and'small gate off the verandah. 'He then visited the front bedroom, which he ransacked. Then his attention was apparently directed to the dining-room, where he secured a collection of silver, a box of cigars, and a tin of* cigarettes. He opened the sideboard and extracted some of the best port, and then went to the linen press. From this he got two pillow-slips, and in one he put the liquor and in the other he put the silver, etc. His labours finished, tho visitor helped himself to a whisky and soda, leaving the stopper out of the decanter. It was probably at this stage that he was disturbed by Mrs. Williams. ..'■'•'*,

Mrs. Williams ehowed great pluck in a trying situation. She says she was not in the least excited and went.to sleep again shortly after the incident. She related to our representative that she had a similar experience in California some years ago. She fired at the burglar but he escaped in the dark.