A BURGLAR’S PROFITS.

Hokitika Guardian, 20 March 1926, Page 4

A BURGLAR’S PROFITS.

WHERE THEY GO

Despite an occasional big haul such as the jewels stolen from Lady Inverforth, burglars do not find their occupation a particularly lucrative one—for them. They take the risks, and the receiver, or “ lenee,” makes the profit, says a writer in tile “ Daily .Mail.”

Paradoxically, the greater the burglar’s haul the less, in proportion, is his personal reward. The reason is simple; a big haul generally implies valuable jewels and at once two factors commence to operate. A big robbery means a more energetic and prolonged hunt by the police, while the jewels themselves are generally easily identifiable.

For the first reason a “fence” is shy to burden liimselt with this class of property and will only take it from tho burglar a.t a price which will return him a tremendous profit lor tho risk be takes; and the stolen property usually passes, moreover, through many bands, each of which demands a share.

The second factor—the hue and cry raised after a successful coup—means that before anyone can hope to deal with jewels of known size and shape they must be re-cut and so altered that they are not only unrecognisable but have lost a great deal of their value.

Tn some cases “fences” absolutely refuse to handle certain kinds of stolen properly, asid flint is why, now and again, the police, in searching for it. criminal, find stowed away goods stolen many months before. Quite reeentely a quantity of silver of distinctive pattern, stolen 15 years ago, was thus recovered. There is soothing like a fixed tarill between burglar and receiver for stolen property. The value to tho legitimate owner is no criterion by which to judge the thief’s personal gain: that depends entirely on the (anilities lor dealing with the property. _the exact, amount of power the receiver lias over tho thief, and a dozen other considerations. It is not, unusual for a burglar, when he has secured property with which he cannot deal at anything like remunerative prices, to await the offering of a reward for the recovery of the articles.

Tn such cases there, arc various people quto prepared to art as go-betweens, and the plunder is restored lo tho rightful owner without pol ice-con it publicity.