MANIACAL ATTACK.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20366, 21 September 1929, Page 8

MANIACAL ATTACK.

SLEEPING GIRL ASSAULTED. HEAD BATTERED WITH CLUB. "'A brutal attack on a sleeping young .Wopian was made by a prowler who entered a house at Cottesloe, Western Australia, lato on Saturday night, September 7, and, for no apparent reason, struck the victim on tho head 12 times with a heavy weapon. The yictim was Evelyn Newman, aged 20, employed as a domestic. Her in* ijiiries appeared to bo superficial. Detectives, aro at a loss to account for the motive which actuated the man, and the only feasible explanation is that ho Was a maniac. This assumption is supported by the knowledge that a prowler was disturbed at two other houses in the vicinity less than an hour .beforo the assault. Mr. and Mrs. Wilson, the employers of thoyoung woman, who is an orphan, were absent at an entertainment. • Miss Newman retired to bed just after nina o'clock, and left tho back door unlocked for Mr. and Mrs. Wilson. About H-40 P* m ', , w'as awakened by a blow on tho back of her head. A man was standing over her with tho weapon in his hand. He had turned on the light in the room, ; but his face was hidden by a handkerchief. Miss Newman screamed, and was on the forehead by the weapon. As sho continued screaming she was further attacked, most of the blows cutting her head and faco, and others inflicting wounds on her hand and arms. One firiger-nnil was broken off and another was badly torn. Miss Ncv.-man cannot recall what hapl pened after tho last blow, but she knows | that the man left the bedroom immediI ately. The bedclothes were sodden with I blood. Ten minutes later the attacker Z returned and stood at the door of the \ bedroom looking at her. Miss Newman again, and the iptruder, hearing the car of Mr. and Mrs. Wilson returning to the garage, disappeared. A doctor was summoned, and tho police ■were notified. Everything points to the attack being the work of a maniac. Tho probability that the assailant used a golf cljib is suggested by tho disappearance of one. from a bag of clubs loft on the rear ;vcrandah of tho house.