ROUNDING UP CROOKS.

Taihape Daily Times, Volume XI, Issue 3335, 13 November 1919, Page 3

ROUNDING UP CROOKS.

BIG HSLRVEST IN SYDNEY.

HOW R.-‘XCEGOERS VVERE “PRO-

‘=4 TE-CTED.

Raids on the closest reseniblaucel that h‘y;dney has to‘ “thieves" kit-i‘ ehens" and ‘other questionable r.e-1 sol'tg just prior to the opening of the 3 ,\.J.C‘. C:n'niVal I'csullg,d in tho gathering in of over 50 “crooks” Of all <lvs(ri'iptiolis, with the result that althmigh the races bl'ough': togetlier rec-,ol'd ierowds, only one case of pocket; pil.-king has been reported to the police, when scores might reasonably have been expected (says the Sydney “Sun”). . ’ The lone victim of :1 “dip” lost only a few shillings and some papers‘ at Rundwick, and there is a possibility that he did not have his pocket pick ed. for he has admitted that his purse might have worked out of his poeket whilst he was bustling through a crowd. ' The rounding np of “c.x'ool;s"’ at (’:1l‘I1lV:1l time. in Sydney has hzrcome an institution, and the police have been llalldsolnel_’y' I'~eWarded for their ltmnble, Since 1913 the influx of blxriminals from the other States has ‘not been pal'tie,nl:ll'l_\,' heavy, and }{l«)l‘aS‘.’ql](‘llTl)' those who made thn trip \\"t-re liaenclleid without difiicnlty. ! But. with the vseturn of racing to a pre-war s=fand£ard, Snpel'inten,den‘. Bannun. the chief of Sydney’s detec‘fives, anticipated that “cs~:ookd~’oxn” would endeavour to gesume ope:-:2-

tions on :1 pl'e-Wlll’ basis. Th'.'_\' did. Pickpockets an«l"chievos 01’ all descriptions and ma-gxcnmx .'_l‘.n(l ofhrr crooks flocked ‘to Sydney from all uvur .’\usf1‘a]i-A’. but pl'in<-ipafly frcm Molboux-no and Brisbane. and joined the Sydney cbntingent. which \\':is uh'(‘ad_\,' getting around in fine clot]:-ing in SQ3.'.'Ch of fho “nlug.<,” which they bolio\'c——an.d ,_‘\\'i‘rh good I'e::.sml——are born every minute.

The intc-14-state ::I"ri\'u‘..«. Immb."3l*ofl .\voll o§‘el' 50, and as they included a goml pmcmliago of exports '\\‘i‘th long hi’Sstol'ios, UlO. 'indieation.s i\\'ol'e that r:lcog‘oors would suffer so.m'iolls]osses. But the visitors I'ockolled \~.'i/rhout their hosts.

Solm_» of the men. were qnickiy rceogznised and whisked out to Long Bay, but to large it number was still at liberty for the -good of the public. Con:<equently about :1 week before the C:u'llivnl opened fSupel'intendent Bannan called his men tog_etller and told them to gf‘f‘bllS_\' and gather in the suspects. The I'e.<.ults \vox’o>sutisf2lctory, hut. all the sinne many remained to be accounted for. By this time, ho\\'eVe:'. the umjo:ity of the inter—stat»e men had been loented. and the. night before the CHl‘nivatl opened the detectives and pininciothes men raided 11a1f—a~doZenhonsos in the cily and .<ubul'b."~. Over 50 men were zirrested. and cil:ll'g'(‘s of bong :su's’peet'ed ‘persons and ,jv’,\grane._v eharges were put against ‘them with <1 view of holding‘ them. In every case the application for bail was op~ posed by the police, with the result that they have remained in gaol for the week. 01’ eourse. the police took other pl'ee:ul‘:ibxl_\- in connection with the races. Every onil'ance was closely guarded with :1 View to preventing any who had dodged the not from getting where the pickings were good, and \\'h(‘lH‘V('_’l' one was spotted he was ]_»i:l<-ed in the “<rO01e1"’ on the course. It is. <lCnbl’EllL h'o\\-'e\"er, whether a. .~iin€l‘le “crook” worthy of the name «-\*:l(ied that second net. to)‘ dgteglives .~.f':lL-3 that they did not see. one in the p:ld<ioc-k, T.ed;:el'. or flat «Turing th. -four days of the meeting. 'l‘hel'e was also :1 striking absence of pocket-picking: and ot.i*.-er robberies in city crowds dining‘ the week. Had there been 3 heav_y crop with. the ex-o\\'d_‘\~ that were in the 311-991: rim» ‘Hid ni;:}n“ it would not have bee; s111‘p1'1s1.n~;};.