DARING BURGLARIES IN SYDNEY.

Globe, Volume VII, Issue 736, 28 October 1876, Page 3

DARING BURGLARIES IN SYDNEY.

(From the Argus,") There have been several daring burglaries committed in Sydney recently which have caused considerable alarm. On Sunday morning, October Bth, three shops in Oxford street were broken into from the back premises and ransacked. It would appear (states the Sydney Horning Herald of October 12th) that to aid them they had made use of a new accessory in thefts of the burglarious kind—some drug, with which they appear to have fumigated the rooms into which they entered, and which had the effect of temporarily stupefying the occupants, and of bringing about unpleasant after-consequences, some of those exposed to the influence of the drug, which is said to have resembled musk in smell, not as yi t having recovered their former health. The shop of Mr Geoghegan, tailor, was entered early on the Sunday morning. The servant who slept on the second floor was aroused about four o’clock by hearing a noise, and she saw a man ransacking a chest of drawers. She screamed, and the man made off. The only things taken were a pair of earrings, a brooch, and about 13s in silver. About half-past three o’clock in the same morning the premises of Mr Green, butcher, were broken into. A shoulder of veal and 8s in coppers was taken from the shop, and the room occupied by Mr Tomlin was ransacked and about 15s in silver taken. The whole of this room and other parts of the house, were pervaded with a strong perfume which smelt like musk. Mr Tomlin alarmed the inmates when he had made the discovery. Mr Green was stupefied with the perfume, was bad all day Sunday, and has not as yet fully recovered ; and this was also the case with Mr Tomlin, The shop of Messrs Myers and Crellin, Oxford street, was entered somewhere about four o’clock on the same morning. They ransacked Mr and Mrs Myers’ room, where they used the drug referred to, and they also visited the third floor where Mr Orellin slept and took £3 out of his pocket and a silver watch. A Mr Quine also slept in the room, and was robbed of £2 7s. Mr Crellin awoke and saw a man in the room, lie thought it was Mr Quine, and said “What are you doing there, Jack ?" and the man said, “ I have only got your watch,” and as Mr Crellin stretched out his hand for it, the burglar threw it towards him in the bed, and then struck him a blow with a heavy weapon on the head, which it cut badly. Mr Orellin was somewhat stunned, and getting up, he had a struggle with the burglar, who, however, succeeded in escaping. Within the last few weeks there have been other burglaries in Oxford street, which appear to have been systematically planned, and to be the work of a band of burglars.