EPIDEMIC OF THIEVING.

Otaki Mail, Volume XXIII, 8 December 1920, Page 4

EPIDEMIC OF THIEVING.

NO DIMINUTION IN SYDNEY. The epidemic of thieving in Syclmy -M.-es on. Dozens of mo t audaeiou thefts are reported to the police almost, daily. The police force, sadly endrr-stalfed. is doing its best, hoc i ver, and some rather smart capture have been made. The other day, at Cremornc, a woman heard her front door bell rung. She was dressing, so she quietly ignored it. It rang again. Two or three minutes later, the lcadlight beside the door was smashed, and the woman saw a hand come through and feci round for the lock. She rushed to the door and threw it. open. A man backed away, snarling threats, joined a mate at tho gate, and hurried off. The woman cried loudly for help. Promptly a policeman rose up from behind a bush. Ho had been watching the couple. They had been ringing bells all along the street, posing as hawkers. He gave chase and caught one of them. The latter tried to brain him with a big stone. They clinched and fell. The policeman was nor getting the best of it, so he drew his revolt er and wounded the thief in the chest. The other man was captured later '-a. tihops are suffering almost as much as private houses. the other night, about 11 o'clock, five men drove up in a big curt, to a leather warehouse, opened the front door with a jemmy, loaded up with leather, and drove serenlv awnv. No one ot the -coves oi people about thought their actions sus-| pieious except a boy, who followed them on a bicycle and told a policeman. The latter gave chase in a motor car. Finding themselves followed, the thieves abandoned the cart and dodged away through the maze of narrow streets. The most contemptible kind of sneak-tliief —the bag snatcher —seems to be about in droves. One dare not leave a coat, or bag, or parcel, for a moment, unguarded, else it will disappear. Women are their special prey, particularly women travelling on trams. The thief grabs a woman’s bag. leaps off. and by the time the startled lady has realised her loss, stopped the tram, and made her plight known, the thief is far away. One such creature met trouble, however. He had bolted down a side street when the tram conductor heard the lady’s shrieks. He stopped his ear, went in pursuit, and was fast evertaking the thief when the latter threw the bag from him. The tram conductor rescued the bag before taking after the thief again. By this time the 'rogue had dodged away into the crowd. And the crowd, which saw the whole incident, let him escape!