A Clever Robbery.

Manawatu Herald, 1 December 1896, Page 2

A Clever Robbery.

Among the ingenious tricks and robberies; which have taken plaoe daring the reception fetes of tha Emperor and the Empress of Riwsia in Paris, is the following robbery about the most olever of its kind which even the police annals of that capital have produced for some time. A young man newly arrived from Lille, was launtering down the Boulevard des Italians staring round him at masts and flags and lamps, when he was emartly tapped on the shoulder by a stranger. The youth looked round and found himself confronted by a semi-official looking person, who murmured : " I have to arrest you. Let us have no fuss. You may explain anything if you can at the police station. Get into this cab Cabman, go to the prefecture of police." On

their way the stranger drew oat an official looking paper and studied hif prisoner's face. "Yes, blue eyes, small moustache . 1 . . quite right. I must search you, but I do not want to use violence. Show ma everything you have on you." The young man brought out his pocket* book containing 800fr in noteß, a gold watch, a purse with another SOOfr in gold, and other matters. The stranger made a bundle of these goods, remarking : " All that will be deposited at the bureau," and then stopped the c*b at a telegraph office. He got out and spoke to the cabman. " I have just arrested a Nihilist," he said, " and am going inside here to send a message about him. Guard him oarefully for me, and knock him down, without scruple if he tries to escape. The villain wants to assasinate the Tsar 1" Needless to say nothing more was heard of the deteotive or the pocket-book or the purse, and the young man from Lille, instead of seeing the Russian fetes and spending 600fr on agreeable distractions, has had to borrow a little money and go baok to Lille.