“KING OF THIEVES.”

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 2329, 15 September 1921, Page 4

“KING OF THIEVES.”

MAN WHO HELD UP SYDNEY,

KILLED FIGHTING IN FRANCE

GAME AND DARING TO THE

END,

(Sydney Sun.)

A man who held up Sydney some years ago, and boasted that he vas the “King of Thieves,” has. been definitely entered, in the police and gaol records as having been killed fighting in France in March, 1018. His death was regretted at Police Headquarters and the Prisons Department, for, in spite of the man} disagreeable tasks detectives and warders have to perform, they have many tender spots in their hearts foi' people who pass through thenhands, and the “King of Thieves” was one who gained their good feelings, despite the daring and determined fellow he was when at liberty. “As gamely as lie held up a household at revolver point,” remarked a prison official a,few days ago, “gamer, if aryvthing, were his efforts in the firing line. He never flinched. When'the Germans were pressing forward during the dark days for the Allies in 1018, in what proved to be the Huns’ great final effort, the man who had years previously terrorised Sydney stood his ground with other brave Australians, and met his death fighting hard.”

After serving a sentence, he left the Long Bay prison gates and came into the city one afternoon in 1917. It was strange that as he stepped from the car near the intersection of Flinders and Oxford Streets he should run across ex-Superintend-ent John Roche, who was responsible for his arrest.

“Hullo!” called out the former heart of the detectives. “How are you getting on?” “Oh, I’m all right, Mr Roche,” was the reply, “I have just come out, and Pm going to live a good life, and I’ll be a credit to my family.” “I’m glad to hear that,” remarked John Roche, “and you’ll never regret going along straight.”

“I have been thinking coming along in the tram that I will go to the front,” added the young man. “Things look bad for us, and if seems as if we are right up.against it. I’m not a ‘squib.’ I’ll go up to the barracks and enlist. Good-bye, Mr Roche, I hope I'll see you again.” “Well, good-bye son, and God bless you,” was the final remark of Superintendent Roche, and the young man moved away. The next day lie was at Victoria Barracks, and was accepted and donned khaki. He sailed for J* ranee in the middle of .1917, never to return.

It has probably passed out of the minds of many people that he was cne of the most daring men who held up the city during the crime wave of 1912-13. It was he who at tfie point of a revolver locked up three of Aiderman T. 11. Kelly’s servants at Glenyarrah, Rose Bay, in 1913, and stole £SO forth of plate.

T]ie previous lie was found under a lied a I Mr Fred Best in’s house in Vauehise Road, Bose and after being locked in the room by the owner and a friend, got through a window, jumped 20ft. from the balcony, and escaped. Two days later lie robbed Mr Andy Kerr, the well-known bootmaker, of cheques and postal notes, but the same afternoon he was appiehendcd in Bo.we Street, at the instigation of -John Boelie by cxDetoetive Duncan and Constables Slone and Lawrence, lie was convicted and sent to gaol on four charges. It was about this time that the heads of the police force were worried over the criminal acts of gangs who were practically holding up the city. ■

An English crook had slmken the nerves of Sydney by masking himself at night, and robbing people in their bedrooms at the point of his revi/lver; but after he had had a good run, Inspectors Fullerton and Soutev (then detectives) secured (dm in a doorway in Oxford Stxeet cnrlv one morning.

There were several other dangerous criminals at work, and masked and armed method became extremely popular with them, much to the discomfiture of the public and the police. That desperate leader Ginger Moore —was ijbout neailv every night terrorising people and robbing their houses. Prior to this, and during the Christmas week of 1012, the Bank of New South \Y ales, Surrey Hills, was robbed of £2.500. There were other sensational burglaries almost daily for a period of about 12 months. The shooting at the Captain Cook Hotel and the murder of Ernest Overton at 'Manly happened during this period. And the arrest of Overton’s murderer in the Domain with face blackened, had sensational features.

The “King of Thieves had been moving about the city tor some time, and in 1912 he decided to do big tilings, and lie certainly performed

some most sensational acts. Besides being a daring burglar, he was full of vanity, and gloated over the stories of his exploits in the papers. He even gave an attractive touch io his jobs by writing letters to the papers about them, signing himself “King of the Thieves.” The nigh( before the robbery at Mr Kerr’s, at Coogee, he walked up to a policeman at the corner of George and King Streets and handed him a letter. The next day lie entered The Sun office and passed- over a letter to the clerk at the counter. It rend: —

“Address: ‘King of Thieves,’ Sydney.

“To the Manager of The Sun. ' “This is a copy of a document I gave to a policeman last night at 8 o’clock, at the corner of King and George Streets. But he did not show it to the sergeant. But it does not matter, because you can publish this.

“You gave me the lion, of knowing Rothsay. I ‘viset’ it the night before, but was disturbed when I had only a ‘quid,’ so came next night. “As ‘four” jumping “0 feet (0 lor’!) I climb up to the ledge and on to the ‘verander’ at the side, and there was a nice ledge to get out by. “I did not like trusting the servant to say nothing, so I could not leave them to go into the house. Rose Bay is a beautiful district. “They need not look for a fellow with fair hair. Wigs cotne in handy. Excuse the writing, as I must watch the place that I am looking after tonight. Yours sincerely, ‘King of Thieves.’ ”

The missivevWas treated as that coming from some madman, but next morning it was realised what a remarkable man he was.

“It was a minute or two after 9 a.m. when the switch attendant in The Sun was called up. “Is that The Sun?” asked a person on the other end of the line.

Being informed that it was, he asked:

“Have von hear about the burg-

lary vet?”

“What burglary?” questioned the attendant.

“I broke into Andy Kerr's house in Dolphin Street, C'oogee, this morning, and have stolen £59 in notes and gold. I got away at one o’clock. Has the information been given lojyou'? And now,” he added, "would you like to know the name of the burglar?” “Yes,” added the attendant, treating the matter as a joke. “Tt’s the man who is talking to you?” came the reply. “It's the ‘King of Thieves.” He then raqg off.

Mr Kerr was called up by ’phono, and said it was not true. No robbery had taken- place. “But,” he added as an afterthought, “Let me have a look.” A moment later lie spoke again, in an excited tone. It was correct. A burglar had visited his place during the night and robbed him.

After the arrest the same afternoon in the wine saloon, the man was spoken to by ox-Superintcnd-ent John Roche.

“Did you write a letter to The Sun, and call up that office by telephone this morning’” asked Mr Roche.

“I did,” was the reply, with a ■ iroud ring in his voice. “Well, it will have to be the end if you for a while,” was Mr Bodies reply, and to the newspaper men -landing close by he added, “And I must sa.v I am thankful to get this fellow, for from what 1 have learned about him, he is one of the games! fellows I have ever met. He’s like a spider—he could go up one side of a building, over the roof and down the other side, underneath it, and up again, if he wanted to.’ After being lodged in the Darlinghurst Gaol, he made an attempt to escape, but was captured in a lavatory after scaling two walls. He left a note in his cell:

“Must gel out. Gaol no good to me. —King of Thieves.” At nearly all the places he robbed he left a note stating that the household had had the honour of a visit, from the “King of Thieves,” but be never fired a shot, at anyone in alibis doings in Sydney, but lie sen! over a few bullets in France before the Germans got lion with one.