BAG-SNATCHERS ABOUT

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2860, 26 August 1916, Page 9

BAG-SNATCHERS ABOUT

A WARNING TO, THE LADIES. Only a proportion of the many licuso robberies., that have taken place in Wellington have appeared in thePress during the past few months. In addition to the many house r.ici-jiud-ers, the "crook" thai is most in evidence in Wellington at the pret-ent time is the lady's' bag-snatcher. A case of a particularly daniig character occurred on the Obirae Hoad not far from the top of Pirie Street at about midday on Thursday. A young lady and her invalid mother were walking leisurely up the hill, wJ'en suddenly a man dashed out from behind a tree in the roadside plantation, snatched the old lady's bag, anil made off with it amongst Me trees. It is satisfactory to know ■that the ladies had a good look at ihe nitfinn, and will be able to identify him. As luckwould have it, the bag that.was srrien only contained 2s. in sash, thn !'f\v of the house, and some Anzac art union tickets. ' On a recent Sunday morning a gen- ' tleman- was seated on the slopes of Mount Victoria'. taking in-the scene through' a pair of ghsses, ni;d arttaiiy saw a man snatch a bag out of a girl's hand, at the top of the Kilbirnie Boad, and watched him' make off across the bills in the direction of the Hospital grounds, too far off, of course, for tho spectator to take any steps in the direction of apprehending the ircan thief. .' It is only a few evenings ago since a young girl, coming Upper Elizabeth Street, had; her bag snatched from her hand by a man who dashed out from the shadow of an overhanging tree, and was away i;i the darli before she could realise her misfortune. , Commenting on her loss otje sufferer remarked: "It is known that a section of the detective-staff have been taken «ff criminal investigation work, to do other work in connection with the war, but if steps are uottltaken to re < strict.tho operations of thieves' and 'guessers' Wellington', will be getting an unenviable -'reputation." ';'-.-' •