CLEVER CAPTURE OF A GANG OF THIEVES.

Dunstan Times, Issue 1123, 9 November 1883, Page 3

CLEVER CAPTURE OF A GANG OF THIEVES.

A commendable capture of a gang of thieves was effected by the Uotham police on Sunday, 'Early on Sunday morning the Mona Arms Hotel, Marker street, aud the l.othiau- Hotel, .Lothian street, Hotbam, Were both broken'into, an entrance in each case being made by '; breaking the latch of the parlour window,’’ and forcing it open. Prom the former .place property to the value of £l7, consisting of a satin- dress and a quantity of lady’s wearing appjirel, belongs mg to Mrs Quick, the licensee, was stolen, and from the same clothing Wurth about £7 was taken away. The parlour win low of the .Homebush Hotel, Abbotshud street, was also forcedopenby mbansdfa “Jemmy’ but the burglars were apparently disturbed iu their operations, as there were no marks left of any person having entered the house, and nothing hag been missed. Upon the matter being reported to Sergeant Corbett, of Hothain, he had a consultation with Senior-constable Lyhane and Constable, Fitzpatrick, and as it was surmised that the robberies had Ireen tbe work of a gaug of theives, the officers decided upon taken immediate action so as nut to .give the robbers an opportunity of disposing of their plunder when the pawn-shops, opened on Monday. Accordingly, search warrants were obtained, and after visitiiig two suspected houses without finding any trace of thestolen property, Seuior-onus table Lyhaoe and Constable. Fitzpatrick procee J ed to a three" roomed cottage inhabited by William’ M’Leish,. near the maizena works, Kensington. Arid upon them entering the dwelling they found there M’Leish, bis son (Alexander M’beish), and his wife, also a man named Goldsmith, who ,13 an old offender, having served 19 years’ imprisonment. They acquainted the inmates with the object of their visit, whereupon the prisoners at once began to assault them, and a general scuffle ensued, which resulted in Lyhane being severely kicked, aud in’ Fitzpatrick being struck on one eye and receiving several cuts on tbe head. During the miU Goldsmith, seeing that his comrades were being defeated, effected his escape, but the others were after much difficulty handcuffed and conveyed together with a portion of the stolen property to the Hothain lock-up. Sergeant Corbett, on looking over the property, discovered that the satin dress valued at £lO IDs was missing, and at once took the female prisoner liack to the cottage and searched the interior, but without finding any trace of' the article. He was about to go away, wheu.he noticed that the ceiling was Constructed of weatherboards, and on looking closer he obsei ved that some of them bore marks of haying been recently disturbed. On removing' one of them he, much to the chagrin of the prisoner, found the dress concealed between the boards and the roof. Here also he discovered a quantity of ribbons aud fancy goods, also some ladies’ and gentlemen’s undciclothing, and a lady’s blue serge jacket, not quite finished, together wi hj six silver-plated forks, brushes, and razors, for which the police require owners.