Malcolm Bull's Calderdale Companion : Foldout

Daring Burglary at Hipperholme Station Master's House
Again Entered Attempt to Suffocate Inmates
About a month ago, it will be remembered, the house of Mr Thomas Priestley, stationmaster at Hipperholme station was entered by burglars, and in addition to a sum of 15/- being stolen, pretty nearly everything was turned topsy-turvy. At that time, Mr & Mrs Priestley were away from home, having gone to Bradford, but on Tuesday night or Wednesday morning this week they were again victimised in a sensational manner, this time whilst asleep in bed.
Their residence is close to the platform, on the Halifax side of the station, and the facts of the burglary are indeed extraordinary.
About two o'clock on Wednesday morning Mr Priestley was awakened by an almost overpowering smell of gas in his bedroom and immediately opened a window to allow it to escape. He then noticed that the gas tap was turned on at full but naturally supposed that he must have accidentally caught the tap with his fingers when putting out the light before retiring to rest. Mr Priestley thereupon prepared to return to his bed, but finding a quantity of gas in the room did not appear to diminish, notwithstanding the open window, he became alarmed. Going onto the landing outside the bedroom he found the gas tap there turned at full. Mr Priestley was now fully persuaded that something was wrong, more especially so when he found that the gas tap in the bedroom opposite which was not occupied and the gas had not been lit that night was also turned on to its utmost extent. Coming downstairs, Mr Priestley found that the window in the back kitchen was open, the glass having been broken to admit of the catch being pushed back. He then returned to his own bedroom, where an examination showed that the booking office keys, including the keys of the office safe were missing. The office is some distance from the stationmasters house, but in full view of the upper rooms. Mr Priestley at once thought of the office, and was startled to observe a light there. Scantily clad as he was he hurried across but was intensively relieved to find that due to the lateness of a train the booking office clerk was still at work. The latter said he had heard nothing unusual and was most surprised at the entrance into Mr Priestley's house. The stationmaster quickly returned to his house and further inspection brought to light the fact that his wife's purse, which had been left on the dressing room table, and contained about 23/- was also missing.
Mr Priestley roused a neighbour and a thorough search was made about the premises, the party even proceeding some way into the railway tunnel. However, no signs of the burglar could be discovered. Mr Priestley took steps to have the booking office occupied until the staff returned in the morning and the matter had been reported to the police. No clue has yet been discovered of the burglars, whose object undoubtedly was to obtain possession of the keys of the safe where considerable sums of money was usually kept. But for the fact that the inner doors of the house had been left open owing to the sultry weather, the consequences might have been more serious and both Mr & Mrs Priestley suffocated in their bed. The thief evidently knew his way about the house, and must have been fully aware of its isolated position, being screened from the view of persons passing. The noise of the falling glass was broken by a mat underneath the window, which served both ingress and egress, all the outer doors being found locked when Mr Priestley made an examination.
The same morning the garden of Mr Robert Law of Fenny Royd House, Hipperholme was found very much trodden as if a person had been hiding. The affair has caused quite a sensation in the Hipperholme district coming so recently after a previous burglary at the same house

Burglary at Hipperholme Railway Station [1899]