EPIDEMIC OF THIEVING

Hokitika Guardian, 30 October 1920, Page 4

EPIDEMIC OF THIEVING

NO DIMINUTION IN SYDNEY, SYDNEY, Oct. 12. # The epidemic of thieving goes on. Dozens of most audacious thefts are reported to the police almost daily, j The- police force, sadly under-staffed, is doing its best, however; .and some rather smart captures have' been made. The other day, at Cremorne,’ a woman heard 'her front doer bell ring. She was dressing, so quietly ignored it. It rang again. Two 'or three minutes later, the Jeadlight beside the door was smashed, and the woman saw a hand come through and. feel round for the lock. She' rushed to the door and threw it open. A man backed away, snarling threats, joined a mate at the gate and hurried off. The woman cried loudly for help. Promptly a policeman rose up from behind a bush, He had been watching the couple. They had been ringing bells all along the street, posing as hawkers, He gaye chase, and caught one of them, The' latter tried to brain him with a big stone. They clinched and fell. The policeman was not getting the best of it so he drew his revolver, and wounded the thief in the chest. The other man was captured later on. This incident shows the way in which the thieves frequently work Jn this c-ity, Tjjpy prowl about, as hawkers, until they jipd a house temporarily unoccupied, and propped to ransack it.

Shops are suffering almost ns much as private houses. The other night, about 11 o’clock, five men drove up in a big cart to a leather, warehouse, opened the front door with a’, jemmy, loade.i it with leather, and drove serenely away. No one of the scores of people about thought their actions suspicious except a hoy, who followed them on a bjeycje and told a policeman. The latter gave chase in. a motor-car. finding selves followed, the thieves abandoned the cart and dodged away through a maze of narrow streets'.. , The most contemptible kind of sneakthief—the bag snatcher —seems to be about in droves. One dare not leave a ‘coat, or bag, or parcel for a moment unguarded, else it will disappear. Women are their special prey, particularly women travelling on trams. The thief grabs a woman’s bag, leaps off, and by the time the startled lady has realised her loss, stopped the tram, aiid made her plight known, the thief is far away. . One s.u.ch creature met trouble yesterday, however. He bad bolted down a side street when the tram conductor heard the lady’s shrieks. He stopped the car, went in pursuit, and was fast overtaking the thief, when the latter threw the bag from him, the tram conductor rescued the hag before taking after the thief again. By this time, the rogue had dodged away into the crowd. And the crowd, which saw the whole incident, let .him escape!