A SNEAK THIEF

Gisborne Times, Volume XXI, Issue 1704, 21 March 1906, Page 3

A SNEAK THIEF

ADMITS FORTY CHARGES

For some weeks (says a Melbourne de-< ipatob) the depredations of an unknown woman have caused inoonvenience and anger among suburban rs3idents. She worked what is oalled the " kinchin lay.” Dozens of ohildron, while on errands for their parents, were accosted by the young woman, who professed to be a friend of their families, and eventually entioed them into handing her the money or parcels they oarried. So many complaints were received that the police were in a ferment, and tremendous efforts were put forth to effeot a capture of this sneak thief. For ihe sake of brevity she was referred to by the cffioials as «• Ada,” that being tho name she iavariably gave the ohildren when talking to them. She was arrested at South Melbourne, and gave her name as Kate Bloomfield. About a dozen oharges were entered agaiost her at South Melbourne, and she was brought to Russell-street for id:nt;fioation. In a number of othir | oases, the children, accompanied by their pa '■nts, came from nearly every suburb. The police station wou'd not ho'd them all, and tbe orowd flowed out into the streeh For some time tram traffic had to be suspended. Without exoeption, the juvenile sufferers declared, on seeing tho prisoner, “ That’s her,” and with indignation swelling up in their youDg breasts they demaoded, “ Where’s my muvver’s twopence ?” “ You took my sausages,” aud sj forth. Qjo boy, overooma with indignation and a seneo of injury, shook ii ? a - " a ' d ” face, and howled, “ Nice hiding me father gave me ’oause you took his shirt.” Acoused admitted a number of oharges, which now total over forty,