BEATEN AND GAGGED.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXII, Issue 18996, 18 April 1925, Page 2 (Supplement)

BEATEN AND GAGGED.

WOMAN'S AWFUL ORDEAL. ATTACK BY A BURGLAR. ELEVEN HOURS' SUFFERING. After being beaten, gagged, blindfolded, bound hand and foot, tied to her bed and smothered for 11 hours with blankets and eiderdowns by a burglar, a Fulham woman was rescued by a neighbour on Sunday, March 1. Tho woman is Miss Mario Riclie, who for 14 years has occupied a flat in Gainsborough Mansions, Queen's Club Gardens, West Kensington. Sho is of middle-age, and holds a responsible position as travelling representative for a large firm of corset makers. Miss Riclie is now lying in Fulham Infirmary, suffering from head bruises, cord lacerations, and shock. "My flat backs on to that of Miss Richo," Miss Bainbridgc said, "and while she was lying in agony, separated from mo by a nine-inch party wall, I heard no sound during the whole night. "Between 11 and 12 o'clock on Saturday night Miss Richo called out goodnight to me through my letter-box. Sho did not come in, but went straight to her flat, and I heard the door close.

of " Hurderl" On Sunday morning the door of Miss Riche's fiat was found open by the milkman. Neighbours were called, and as the bedroom door was pushed open a feeble moaning was hoard, and then the ono word "Murder, murder," coming from the bed, which was piled high with eiderdowns and blankets. When the clothing was removed there was Miss Riche lying strapped to the bed, her eyes blindfolded with a scarf, a gag half out of her mouth, and her face purplo with partial suffocation. Her lips were puffed up to three times their normal size. A little while longer and she must have died. Miss Riche was taken in a half-conscious condition to Fulham Infiri t-y." This is use story Miss Riche told to Miss Bainhridge:—"After calling out 'Good-night' to you I went into my flat and made myself a cup of coffeo in the kitchen before going to bed. As I opened my bedroom door I was knocked down by a man's fist. 1 managed to spring up and struggled like a fiend. When I tried to scream he gagged me with a small table napkin and then bandaged my eyes with a scarf.

" 'lf you make any more noise,' the man hissed in my ear, 'I will do you in.' Then he tied my hands behind my hack r and roped my ankles together, threw mc > on the bed, strapped rne down, and piled , all the clothes on top of me. I could j hardly breathe, and yet I lay there—as you now tell me, for over 11 hours. J "1 am sure it was only my will to B live that kept me atlve. I kept saying j to myself, 1 will not die; I will not die. "The man who attacked mc I could pick out of a million. Tie was a young man of the upper working-class of about 30, clean-shaven, and very sallow complexion. He was dresscj in a grey suit, and my impression is that he was rather sturdily built. I hope the police catch him." The man appeared to have got into the flat by breaking a side window and : unlatching the hasp. A small sum of . money was missing. > !-