THIEF V. DETECTIVE.

King Country Chronicle, Volume VI, Issue 430, 13 January 1912, Page 7

THIEF V. DETECTIVE.

A Melbourne detective officer once resorted to an ingenious device in making a capture. Several forgeries had been committed by a trickstei who passed as Baron von Sanden, For a long time the detectives could not get on his track, but at last he was run down in a simple but very clever way.

The officer who was especially detailed to hunt for him was confident that he had not left Melbourne. Hf was aware that the forger had an intimate friend, another alleged nobleman, and to this man the detective went, and said :

"I want you ; you have been at it long enough. Pack up now, and come with me."

'"What do you want witli me?" replied the man. "I am a gentleman. I can assure you, you make one grand mistake. I have not done anything. My friend, the Baron von Sanden, will tell you I am a gentleman."

"I don't believe it," said the officer, quickly jumping at his clue; "he, surely, would not corroborate your statement."

I 'l do assure you, sir, you are wrong. If you come with me, I will pay for a c &b and take you to him."'

"Very well," said the detective. "I have half an hour to spare. I will go with you." The foreigner never moved with more alacrity in his life than when he got a conveyance, and the two drove to the residence of Von Sanden, and on the gentleman in question quickly making his appearance, he was immediately taken into custody by the officer.

"Then you do not want me," said Von Sanden's friend.

"Not yet," replied the officer. "I only wanted to find your distinguished companion, the baron." The man then got away as quicklj as possible, glad, no doubt, to escape, while the detective marched off with his prisoner.