WOMAN ASSAULTED AND ROBBED

Wanganui Chronicle, Issue 12889, 2 August 1913, Page 4

WOMAN ASSAULTED AND ROBBED

SHADOWED AND PULLED DOWN. ASSAILANT DECAMPS. PREVALENCE OF THIEVING. HOUSES ENTERED. Thoro is a strong and pronounced feeling in the town that thieving «s grooving far too prevalent, and n marked feeling of. distrust exists. A far worse"aspect of this baneful practice i* -daily becoming evident, and frequent "complaints have ijeejV received of respectable women be ing .followed by miscreants with'malicious,.intentions. In •'fact 'information. gleaned from'reliabUv r sources gives evidence of ouite a number of women being afraid to venture out at night tma/cc^nmnnied/- That this state of things should exist i.s d<--plorable, and calls attention to the of-ten-repeated demand for further additions to tho local polico force, and e'e-ter-tivo staff. A disgraceful case of a lady being shadowed, assaulted. and robbed of l'/or Jiandbn/: containing | money occurred on Thursday light. The j circumstances were that * 'about 8 ■ o'clock, Miss Pivio, an Avenue dressmaker, was walking along Guyton Street on her way to her home, when she becamo aware that she was being j followed by a man After she had go»i" Rflino distance her suspicions of the person's intentions increased, aid she made for a near doorway to .seek protection. As she turned, the mars snatched at tlio basket and handbag, which sho carried on he:' arm. Miss Pirio held firmly to her bag. a-nrl she was pulled down. Her assailant grabbed the bag nv.c.l decamped. The . lady's i orie;; attracted near-by residents to ihv I spot, and tho police wore informed. Aliss Pirie hf>.s not a yorv clear description of the thief, bult he appeared to b"< a youth, about sft. 4'in. in height, knieke;r.bolcM<rs at?.l a .crip ..pressed down over his eyes. The hand■lvrip; contained £2 in notes and some •silver. The' police have been investiga.'.:n<_:. bu£ h.ftve not yet laid their hands on the culprit. It is understood th-nt yesterday afternoon the residence of Mr. J. Grant. 2(\ Plymouth Street, was entered and ransacked. Tho house of tho late Mr. W. R. Borlnso. in Bell Street was entered on. Thursday night, and a carpet was stolen.