A Lady Burglar in Mel bourne.

Manawatu Herald, 10 February 1903, Page 2

A Lady Burglar in Mel bourne.

Mrs Kate Porter, a fashionablydressed woman, who was arrested at Melbourne last week, has demonstrated that mereman has no longer a right to the monopoly of ' burglary, Complaints .cap© from several suburbs that a young lady on many occasions had been dia* covered in residence surrounded by displaced drawers, and in possession of hastily gathered valuables. On being disvovered, the intruder, with a merry laugh, would exclaim, “Oh, what a fright I must have given you. I’m playing at being tt burg-, laf, and its such fun. Is Mrs Brown in? No; doesn’t live here! Oh„ dear me! Dear me! What a terrible mistake I have made. I thought this was her house, and she is such an old friend of the family. How can I apologise for my intrusion ? ” With that she w«uld become greatly distressed, and the sympathies of the household being ■ aroused by the further confession that Mrsßrowii’s baby was a special attraction for the intruder, and she had so wanted to give Mrs Brown a surprise, the enterprising young lady would be escorted to the front door, and bowed out by the somewhat bewildered householder.

On one occasion Mrs Thompson, of Malvern, went into her front bedroom, and found a stylish and wy well-dressed young lady so "sut'' rounded with the contents "of disordered drawers, and so busy picking out little valuable, that tho former at once decided thsl tho Visitor was a thief. But to the surprise of her discoverer, the young lady in the most charming and straightforward manner, explained the matter, After a really merry laugh she dejaanded to be taken at once to’ Mrs Hendaraon, to see the dear baby. “I’m a clergyman’s daughter,” she said, “ana Mrs Henderson is our oldest friend. Oh take me at once toiler; I dying to see her. She will indeed be surprised.” Mrs Thompson was puzzled, and answered that Mrs Henderson did not live there The lady burglar collapsed, but, after a time, cam® round sufficiently to inform Mrs Thompson what a terrible mistake she had made. As a guarantee of good faith, she took off about a dozen articles of jewellery she was wearing, and said she would leave them wtih Mrs Thompson as security that she would return the following’ day and establish her bona tides. She hurried away, but nev*r returned. On the 28th ult. Mrs Porter, who said she was a married woman, -28 years of age, was arrested in the the city on two charges of larceny, and several suburban residents called at the watchhouse and identified her as the young lady who had visited them uninvited, and been found on their premises under the circumstances indicated. A cable message from Melbourne,' states that Mrs Porter has been committed for trial on a charge of housebreaking, and on a second charge of stealing front a dwelling.