EXCHANGE OF SHOTS.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXXIX, Issue 12706, 8 March 1912, Page 3

EXCHANGE OF SHOTS.

EARLY MORNING ADVENTURE SYDNEY, Feb. 26.

The balcony of "Esniey ville," Church street, Randwick, was, early this morning, the scene of a thrilling encounter between a burglar and a well-Known City business man, Mr J. J. 'Thompson, head of one of the departments of Alex. Cowan and Sons, wholesale stationers, 37 York street. Shots were exchanged, but fortunately Mr Thompson was not struck, while it is uncertain whether the intruder received either of the bullets fired at him. The affair is the most startling of all the frays which have of late been reported to the police as taking place between Lburglars and citizens, and the daring of the individuals who are at present operating m the jqity and suburbs was 6trongly illustrated on this occasion. If aii old hand is not working the city, an apt pupil has come forward, and he is doing some particularly smart and audacious work. i "Esmeyville" is a handsome residence of 14 rooms, - situated on a triangular block of land bounded ~y Church street, Francis street, and a road that has not yet received a name from the Randwick Council. Shortly after 2 o'clock this morning Mi" Thompson, who occupies a balcony room, awoke. He looked across his room and saw a man ransacking his wardrobe. He moved slightly m v the bed, and the burglar turned quickly from the drawer he was working at hnd hurriedly left the room and reached the balcony. Wide awake by this time, Mr Thompson jumped out of bed, procured a revolver, and loaded it. He worked quietly, and when ready for any emergency he walked on to the verandah. In the darkness he could see the figure of a man standing m front of the window of his neighbor, and he called out to him, "Put up >your bands, or \ fire." . Jumping back from the window, the visitor saw. that he Mas up against trouble, and he slipped along the bal<x>ny as quickly as he could. Mr Thompson -was not to be denied, and. taking aim, he fired two shots after the retreating figure. The shots may or may not have taken effect, but, anyhow, the man yelled out, "I'm shot; I'm shot. Don't fire again f Thinking that the intruder was seriously Avounded. Mr Thompson approached him, and had just stepped r to. within* a few feet .of the burglar', when the latter rose quickly, and, scaling the balcony rail, slid 30ft down the iron support. He was crying out a\\ the time that he had been shot. He reached ' the 1 ground, dashed for a side fence, and, jumping over, made his way . across the lawn. Then a surprise came for the inmates of the house. The sound of the shots had attracted their attention, and they had rushed to the> balcony, and jiyere. witnessing the flight of the thief-,. Wheri he' 'turned round and fired thi'eje-' sh^ts at Mr Thompson, and at thi%^rs\ass'enibled oh the balcony. Forflfflitfelv the shot© missed their mark, and no one wKs laid low. / /,- The. sound pf shooting' wVis heard all over the 'neighborhood,, and m a very short time. residents m the immediate vicinity were v astir and ga.zing timidly out of - their , 'windows. Senior-constable Duff and Constable M'Donald had heard the firing, and they hastened Along Church street, but the man had > decamped. They searched high and low for the fellow, but not a trace of him -could be found. By this time the inmates were b"sy examining their belongings to see whether they had lost anything. It was discovered that Mrs H. Moore, the wif" of a so natter living at Walgett. had been robbed of a valuable wristleti watch studded wi*h di°monds. Tbe other victim was Mr Thompson, who was not <^ut of bed duicklv enough to prevent his being robbed of 22s m silver.