Brave Auckland Girl

Levin Daily Chronicle, 1 June 1918, Page 1

Brave Auckland Girl

CAPTURE OF A BURGLAR. BRIGHTON HOTEL INCIDENT. (" Herald's'' Correspondent.) LONDON. April 4. Miss Blanche Moss Davis, daughter of .Mr Moss Davis, of Auckland, figured in an incident at Brighton on Easter Saturday, as a result of which a man who gnvo the name of Thomas Green, but. wlio is supposed to be the notorious Eddie Guerin, au escapee from Devil's Island, has been arrested. Tiie accused was brought up at the Brighton Police ■Court by the chief constable, charged with stealing from the Metropole Hotel a dressing-case, four rings, two gold coins, one pearl necklace, a diamond brooch, a pearl pendant, and a gold bracelet, of the value of £200. These articles were the property of. Mrs Ruby Harris, who is staying at the hotel iu company with her father and mother, Mr and Mrs Davis, and sister. Miss Blanche Moss Davis, on going into her room about 5 p.m., found the prisoner with his back turned to her bending over a drcssing-case. She bravely asked him what he was doing, and he said he was mending a drawer. Miss Davis told him ho was a thief, and running into the corridor, gave the alarm. The prisoner ran quickly out of tho room, but a valet, who happened to be coining up the stairs, chased him. Prisoner called out to him to slop. After this prisoner threw a heavy chisel at the valet, and managed to escape into another room. There he was found by other employees sitting quietly reading with a hat on his head and dull glasses 011, evidently hoping to escape detection by his nonchalance. After a struggle he" was secured and handed over to the police. The dressing case was found with the back ripped up. In answer to the charge prisoner said he did not steal the jewellery, as ho had not time to do so, and he asked to be charged with attempting to sltal. A remand was granted The prisoner of Devil's Island, Eddie Guerin, was convicted'of a burglary in the American Express Company's prem ises in Paris in 1001. He was sent to Devil's Island, French Guiana, and in March. 3905 ,in company with two other prisoners he made a dramatic escape. The party got hold of an old canoe, in which, they stored all provisions they could linfl," and then one dark night made for the open son. One .of tho men fell overboard, and was immediately devoured by the sharks with which the waters are infested, but the others managed 10 reach Georgetown, British Guiana, from which they got to New York. In 190<> Guerin came to London, and was betrayed to the police by a woman, known as ".Chicago

"'.lay,'' with whom ho had been living previous to his arrest in France. His

extradition as an escaped prisoner was demanded by the French Government, but the Lord Chief Justice, on appeal, refused it, on the ground that Guerin was a Britsih subject born in Hoxton. On the very night, after his release "Chicago May," in company with a man liamod Smith, tracked him down and tired on liim in Marchmont Street, Russell Square. For this Smith was sent 1o penal servitude for life and the woman for 15 years.