MOLESTING WOMEN.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 15692, 26 February 1913, Page 8

MOLESTING WOMEN.

SENSATIONAL STORIES FROM AUCKLAND. (Feou Oce Own Correspondent.) AUCKLAND, February 25. A fortnight ago a young lady residing with her parents in a two-storey house in Wynyard road had a startling experience while proceeding along Porter's avenue, which is but an extension of the same thoroughfare across the Mount Eden railway line into Eden Terrace. The story hiie already been published of the manner in which she was assailed by a tall, well-built man, and received a blow in the face which was severe enough to dislodge several of her front teeth. The female residents of houses immediately opposite have aJso been marked " out for the attentions of apparently the same man, and, iwoording to information given to a Star reporter who visited tlie locality this morning, the women of Wynyaid road are at the present time in a continual state of " scare.

Tho efcory given by a young married woman living in Wynyard street neaj the comer of Eden Vale road was a somewhat extraordinary one. On the Saturday afternoon previous to the actual assault already recor<kd, she left her house to dc some shopping in town, A man met her before she had proceeded very far, and asked to be directed to Symonds street. He was told tliat he was walking away from it, whereupon he turned -round ami proceeded to accompany her, talking all the while. Anxious to be rid of the man, she went into a friend's house. Her surprise was considerable when she -came out and found that he was waiting for her. She'did not speak to the man, but he was voluble enough for two, and persisted \n talking to her all the way along Karangahape road. Twice she went into shops in the hope of shaking off her unwelcome attendant, each time without avail. She was thoroughly frightened, and finally went into a house, there to stay until the man went oft. This he did, and his next move was to go to the house she had visited and ask her address, stating that he had found 6ome property she had lost. On three occasions since then, the man has gone to the hoin in Wynyard street in the absence of the- lady's husband, whose departure in his motor car wa6 apparently witnessed in each instance by tho man before visiting the house. The young wife's practice has been to lock up the house immediately after her husband's departure, and two nig'yt6 running the man tried the doors both back and front. Becoming more emboldened, he visited the house one morning just after the husband had motored off. The mistress was in tho washhouse, which is underneath the building, and had locked the doors upstairs, so that when she heard the bell ring and then heard the door tried 6he knew who her visitor was. Unsuccessful at the front door, he tried the back, and the woman in her fear filled a dipper with boiling water, and says the man would "have got it had lie thought of trying to force ,the washhouse door. Finding, the back door locked also, however, the man went - off. His description coincides with that given in the previous assault case. Another lady living a few doors away was also followed by the same man a day or two ago. She was pursued from Wynyard street into View road, thente along Esplanade Toad into Point street, taking refuge in a shop. The man was seen to hang about outside for some time ibefore moving off. Several cases have also been reported of the scaring of children in the 6ame localitv.