Glasgow Courier. — 1855-10-27 (Glasgow, Strathclyde, Scotland)

MASKED THIEVES. The Birmingham Jouraal contains an accaunt of a burglary committed in the neighbourhood of that town, which reminds one of the audacious acts of the robbers of the last century. The house broken into was that of Mrs. Elizabeth Mullett, the Geroge Inn, Worley, IVigorn, and the thieves, four in number, succeeded in carrying away £l6 in cash and a silver watch belonging to the landlady, and la in cash belonging to one of her daughters, who, with another sister and their two children, were the only inmates. It appeared that on Wednesday evening the house was, on the inmates retiring to rest, properly secured in the ordinary manner, and about one o'clock on Thursday morning a noise was heard by Mrs. Mullett, and direetly afterwards she heard her chamber door open, and saw two men enter. They I had a lighted candle with them, were dressed in short dirty smock frocks, having their heads and faces entirely covered with black glazed calico, with such perforations only as would allow them to see and speak. Mrs. Mullett and one of her daughters occupied this room, and upon seeing the intruders they commenced screaming Murder, thieves,' &c. Both the burglars went op to them, placed their hands upon the throats of the two females, and quietly threatened that, if they did not hold their peace, it would fare much worse with them. The fellows proceeded to break open and ransack the boars in the room, and having possessed themselves of some of their contents they ordered Mrs. Mullett and her doughter to leave the bed, which the latter did, to allow of the mattress, &c., being searched. No money was found there; a bottle of wine was found in the bedroom, and after imbibing part of the contents themselves they politely asked the landlady and her daughter to taste too, 'as they seemed low and fainty,' but the offer was refused. As they were leaving, Mrs. Mullett made some noise, and one of the fellows then asked the other for a halter 'to hang them.' The threat had the desired effect, and they left without molestation. In the meantime a similar scene was being enacted by two other burglars, similarly dressed, with the black caps, &c., in another room, where the other inmates of the house slept. They were prevented from making an alarm by being nearly suffocated with a blanket which one of the fellows held over their mouths. The men, however, were stifficiently merciful to leave behind them, on being entreated to do so, a child's overall and watch, which formerly belonged to Mrs. Mullett's sonin-law. About £8 was also stolen from the bar. Just before leaving they returned to Mrs. Mullett's room and asked her if she would know them again. She replied in the negative, and they rejoined that if ever she caused them to be apprehended, and was seen from home, she would never return alive. They bade her not to stir for two hours, and then left. The doors were found open by some persons passing at .5 o'clock in the morning, and It was afterwards found that ingress had been effected through some bedroom windows, which the burglars were enabled to reach by means of ladders which had been left by painters near the house. A 'jemmy' had been used underneath the sash to burst off the fastening, at the top.