LEADER OF GANG

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 2, Issue 274, 14 July 1932, Page 2

LEADER OF GANG

Y/OMAN THE MASTER BRAIN BEHIND LONDON UNDERW ORLD. LONDON, June 25. A woman, as elusive as Dr. Moriarty, the famous crook of the Sherlock Holmes stories, is said to be the ■ master brain directing and planning the ever-growing numher of successful smash-and-grab raids in the W'est End of London. She is tall and smartly dressed, with hlue eyes and hair which is at present platinum blonde, but which may be auburn red next weelc — for it has been; known to change colour several times already. Scotland Yard declares that she is the cleverest crook that London has seen for a long time, and although they knew a great deal about her movements and her methods, they have so far found it impossible to "catch her in the act." They know, for instance, that on at least one occasion she was in an hotel at the very time when her men were raiding the room of a woman victim with whom she had been in conversation only a few minutes before. Powerless to arrest her there and then, detectives trailed her for days, but she was too clever to give them a chance to arrest her. As far as can be estimated, some thirty crooks are working for het— some of them old lags, some of them only boys of eighteen. They operate in gangs of five or six under the leadership of one of the "experts." Some of them have been caught and convicted. But she does not let them go, .and, attracted hy money easily won, they rejoin the "regiment" immediately they are released.