GAGGED BY BANDITS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 21136, 19 March 1932, Page 2 (Supplement)

GAGGED BY BANDITS.

THREATENED WITH DEATH.

ENGLISHWOMAN'S ORDEAL. ALONE IN THE HOUSE. A woman's voice calling faintly, " Help, I am tied up!" heard by a telephone operator, led to the discovery one night a few weeks ago of an attack on Mrs. Violet Boyd, of Hatch End, Middlesex, by two bandits, who rang the bell, and when she opened the door knocked her down, tied her arms with rope and a belt, threatened her with death if she cried out, and left her trussed, after ransacking the house and robbing her of jewellery and clothes valued at more than £SO.

" My maidservant had gone out with the dog-to get its licence and I was alone in the house," Mrs. Boyd said, in telling the story. " I answered the bell and found two well-dressed, dark-haired young men at the door. Ono was very tall and the other short.

" The tall man, who acted as spokesman and had a big bag in his hand, asked mo if Ivr anted any tooth paste. I told him I did not^ N and was about to close the door when ho placed his foot in the doorway. ' " Both men then sprang into the hall. They knocked me down. I struggled and kicked one of them hard on the shin, but I was quickly overpowered and

they tied my arms up. I tried to wriggle to the telephone and cried out when ono of them pinched my arm very hard. " ' Keep quiet or we will shoot,' they said. " The men left me tied up on the floor and ransacked my room. They took all the clothing I possess except what I was wearing. I noticed that the tall man was wearing gloves, and it struck mo that he knew his way about, which is not surprising in view of the fact that wo had burglars about three months ago. " Tho tall man said to the little man: ' Bill, there are boxes in the cupboard under the stairs,' and pointed to a locker in which boxes are kept. They packed the things they had taken into these boxes and the bag which they carried, and left by the back door. " As they went one tried to snatch my wedding ring, but I hung on to it. Then I managed to knock tho telephone off its ledge. I could hardly reach tho mouthpiece, but I called to tho operator and she told tho polico and my next-door neighbour, who hurried in to release me. " Both men were wearing, hard felt hats. They were between 25 and 30 years of age, clean shaven, and had dark suits. They seemed much too well dressed for the way they spoke."