HOW CRIMINALS BETRAV THEMSELVES.

Hokitika Guardian, 27 November 1925, Page 4

HOW CRIMINALS BETRAV THEMSELVES.

I''von tlie most astute criminal, lifter eluding tiie police for years, will >irin<z about In's own arrest by making just cue little slip. 'Less pitted i rooks of- | ten sice themselves away, snvs a writer in f lic T.nndon “Daily Afail." An instance has recently come lo hand. The police had been baffled by a murder until they chanced to examine the bat of tin- victim. Inside the band, to malic the hat lit better. "As a piece id paper. This proved to ba a conn .summons made out to another man. Tie was ((Uestioned and bis guilt established, lit his hurry to got away from the scene of the crime he had taken his victim’s hat lor his own! One crook betrayed himself jj.v the way he carried off his plunder from a West End mansion. Among the spoil "ere two silver inkstands. 'They left a trail of ink half a mile long, which led the police to their man. A gang of cracksmen who broke into a country house some time back brought about their own capture through greed. Tn one room they found a battle labelled "Cognac.” A pretty piece of good fortune, they thought, and promptly drank to the success of their night's work. Deeply they drank too—and a few minutes later were seized with violent pains. The pains grew worse until the hapless burglars were almost paralysed. Then they called out for the police to help them. That bottle contained rat poison ! Two recent safe-breaking attempts ended in the criminals betraying themselves. One man trying to open an office safe used too much gelignite. The explosion wrecked the entire office and roused the whole neighbourhood—including the police. Similarly another gang in tin East End factory created such a noise when they blew up the safe that they had to beat a hasty retreat, leaving till their outfit behind. Crime and its detection is a highly scientific business, and in it, as in everything else, there’s many a slip.