AN EXTRAORDINARY STORY.

Taranaki Herald, Volume XLIX, Issue 11818, 16 November 1901, Page 1 (Supplement)

AN EXTRAORDINARY STORY.

A sensational story was told to the Surrey Mills police, when four young men were charged with breaking and entering a house in Surrey' Hills and criminally assaulting one of three females in tbe place. It is alleged that between three and four o'clock in tbe afternoon, whilst a woman 1 and two girls, 16 and 14 years of age, were the pole occupants of the house, the head of the family being away at work, four men drove up in a cart, dismounted, and sought admittance to the building. 1 It was refused, the elder of the females, on seeing the character of the visitors, I ordering one "of the girls to. shut the door against lhem, while a window, to which the men went, was also, pulled? down and locked hurriedly. Seeing that they could not get in tbe front way, the visitors repaired to -the Tear of th« bouse. The door and windows were lacked, but, not to be baffled, otfe of thie men, it is alleged, produced a knife, and with it prized back .the catch of one of tHe windows, and raised the sasb. He then jpot intrt the room, and! opened tbe door to admit his comrades. The females, ' apprehending personal danger, ran to the upper rooms of tbe hooße, the elder woman locking herself in one room and the girls in another. Two or three of the men followed, and on securing admittance to the room occupied 'by tbe girls assaulted them. The girls stroggled desperately to overcome their assailants; and the ruffian who. had bold of the youngest girl, it is stated, produced a knife and threatened' her with it if she continued to resist. The woman, being attracted by the screams of the girls, rushed into the room. She r assisted to get tbe men out of the room and then sent the elder girl for the police. As the girl ran out of- the house' the men also left. Two con.stables just then put in an appearance, the two men being pointed out to tnem as the assailants they were secured. During the night ; the police arrested another man, and he was charged with com mi ting aseriuus offence upon one of the -girls, and the others with aiding and aoetting him. . ■ ' !