A "Burglary Boom."

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXI, Issue 6929, 17 March 1894, Page 2

A "Burglary Boom."

WOMEN THREATENED WITH FIREARMS. Melbourne, March 7. — "The Burglary Boom " is now a common heading m the j Melbourne papers. A daring burglary was committed at the Paragon Hotel, Newcastle, early on the morning of the 4th of March. The licensee, Mrs Clough, awoke about 4.30, and found two men, masked and armed with revolvers, standing over her. The men warned her to be quiet, and demanded money. She seized one of the revolvers, which was held close to her head, but the burglar wrenched it away, and said he would shoot her if she repeated her action or made the slightest noise. Meanwhile a little servant girl, who slept with Mrs Clough, awoke, and began to scream. The men commanded her to be silent, or they would blow out her brains. The muzzle of one of the weapons was placed against her forehead. The girl was hysterical, and I continued to scream her loudest. Finally, the burglars turned and fled. A search ! afterwards showed that they had taken a pair of diamond earrings valued at £80, and a gold watch and tfhain, but the latter were afterwards found on the stairs, the burglars having dropped them m their flight. Mrs Clough was unwell all next day. She believes she was chloroformed, and that that caused her sickness. In the pocket of her dress m the bedroom was over £100 m cash, but the robbers did not find it. No clue to the burglars' identity has been obtained.

Another burglary under arms was perpetrated at Williamston. Early on the morning of the sth inst. Mrs Smith, proprietress, of a fruiterer's shop, was awakened at 2.30 by a masked man. She pluckily grappled with him m the passage outside her bedroom, shouting loudly— "My God ! burglars 1" At last the intruder struck her senseless with a terrific blow on the head from his revolver, and escaped. It is supposed that he had an accomplice. No arrests have yet been made.