THE BICYCLE THIEF.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXVI, Issue 16750, 4 January 1915, Page 10

THE BICYCLE THIEF.

TO THE EDITOR. Sir,—That's me, the man as take* the bikes. At this period of the year we open our hearts to one another, and so I thought the owners of -tin seventy-fire machines I got away with last year would like a. word with me (through you of course). Vfm. I'D him. and in confidence 1 would like to tell you that my business carries o larger profit than most and what is more, absolutely no risk. This is the funny part about it. A man steals a horse or sheep or loaf of bread, or mixes a. few of his own shillings with his boss's, and'gets two years. He steals a few flowers out of a garden and gets three months. He steals a lawn mower from the front of a shoo, and gets eight months. If he had taken' the bike worth five times as much as, the mower he. would have got fortyeight hours. Yes, there they nere sirto by side, the mower and the bike. tba sovereign and the florin. I->" 3° u see my point? I am prepared to bet my next week's takings (six hiked) against let us say. a packet of pins that my profession or business or whatever it is, carries less risk than any other line of business in this town. Now let mo tell you one of my trade secrets. I never ;'ake a copper s bike, 1 never tako one belonging to the magistrate or a J .P. Do you sec my point again? I am the best of pals with all these people. Tt pays me, and they rover lose their bikes." Now suppose n new copper (one not in the know) walks me off to the station, just a* I am about to walk off with' -» brand new I one. Well. I lose the )ig?or and onoj night's sleep in tnv own little bed—, twenty-four hours or a tine of '2os | That's me. T take two the day.: one to pay for the fine and -lie other to keep my business going- * had a pal over in Svdney once. He came to Christohurch, * and I let him into my secrets. -" What price Sydney?' said he, and away ho wont again. He got away with an old girl I would scorn, to touch, and thev sent him tip first! pop—two years' hard. That, stopped the game at onoe No Sydney for me; I prfer Chmtohurcli. Do you g*t mo?—[ am, etc.. OHBJKBUMH OKg auMl