HYPNOTIC BURGLAR.

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XXXII, Issue 8918, 11 September 1907, Page 4

HYPNOTIC BURGLAR.

The hypnotic burglar is America’s latest novelty in crime. The burglar, dressed in tlio height of fashion, and gentle in manners and conversation, first appeared at the apartments of Mr Arthur Croft one Sunday night and represented himself to Mrs Croft as a close friend of her husband. They sat on the verandah and talked for half an hour. He convinced Mrs Croft that lie really was a friend of her absent husband. The burglar returned on Tuesday night and found Mrs Croft again on the verandah. He asked her for a drink of water, and when she returned with the glass she found him seated in the parlour. Mrs Croft turned on the electric light, aad noticed that the man had' a most piercing eye,- which gave her a peculiar feeling, so she told the police. Thou the man arose, made a few passes, and she was dead to the world. . . ~ Mrs McKinney, who occupied the adojiniug partmeuts, saw the.stranger quickly leave. Mrs Croft, on regaining her senses, found that her jewels were gone and her drawers had been ransacked. She values the jewellery at £BOO. Neither the police nor the doctors treat the Cleveland burglary with contumely. They recognise the possibilities of hypnotism in such a case, and have done so for a long time. So far no hypnotic burglar has been captured, but detectives are hot on the track of the Cleveland criminal, and hope to secure him very soon.