A POPULAR BURGLAR

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 122, 22 June 1909, Page 4

A POPULAR BURGLAR

People in a charming little suburb of Pans were surprised the other dnv to see the moat popular man in the place led_ away to the police station by two policemen. Thev learned soon'afterwards, to their still greater astonishment, tint lie was a notorious burglar, lie lived in a hamlsonii. villa and acquired his popularity bv his generous Rifts to all his' neighbors. He left his house every evening to go. as lie said, to his work, and returned in the morning carrying very often a hag or bundle of considerable dimensions, to which the other residents paid no attention, as they thought that it had soniethin.r to do with his regular occupation. "The police, however, were more wide awake, and, by n curious coincidence,"hio name was fiiinul «n the detective records as' having for quite a while suhl a number of valuable objects to „ second-hand dealer. '

I An enquiry was decided upon, ami when the detectives willed at Iris dwdli'ig they found it a regular storehouse of precious articles of every description, many of which were recognised at once as having been stolon from villas in other suburbs. When arrested the man confessed n t once that what he callcl his regular work was merely that of a burglar. "{)m< vonlez vous»" he said t" tin te-llve,, "I have no other pro- , fesslon. and it was the only way I had of earninsr my living." ' He imagined, nowevc. that by disposing generously of all h:.i superfluous articles and pos'in'.. besides as a loeal benefactor and philanMiromst lie partl<- made up for the way' in which he made an income for himself. Tic even stood n chance of being elected town councillor and Mayor, if it had not been for the premature in't >rIcrcnee ef the police, who, in addition, have now notified all the former friends of the ponular man that (.hey will have In restore the precious works of art and other gifts which they had accepted from him. as they are being claimed by ■their former owners who.* houses have been burgled. Half the residents in the place, it is said, may lie in possession of articles subject to restitution, as (he aenerous burglar had the habit of offering a present regularly to the first person whom 'he met on his' morninn walks. "