THIEVES’ SECRET SOCIETY.

Taranaki Daily News, 31 December 1921, Page 10

THIEVES’ SECRET SOCIETY.

WOUNDED GIRL’S REMARKABLE STORY, Sydney, Dec. 14. A remarkable story of a secret society of thieves, with an elaborate oath of allegiance, tlie breaking of which means death, has been told to the police by a young girl named. Jane Hamilton, who is lying at the hospital in Armidale (NJS.W.) with a bullet from a revolver close to her heart.

The girl states that the man to whom she was married, ami for whom a warrant has been issued, met her some time ago in 'Sydney. MTien marriage was agreed to, he gave her to understand that the ceremony would, 'be somewhat different to the usual one, and hinted something about a brotherhood. She acquiesced, and by appointment one afternoon visited a certain Sydney hotel, where she found the prospective bridegroom and three other men, one of whom was attired in clerical clothes. The ceremony was gone through, and immediately afterwards she was advised that it would be necessary to initiate her into a secret society, composed altogether of four men and two other girls. She was taken to a house in a suburb, and there an elaborate ceremony was gone through, which ended in her taking a solemn oath of allegiance. She was given to understand that to break the oath meant sudden death. The nature of the society was then unfolded, and she saw that the mystic brotherhood was nothing more nor less than a gang of thieves/ The brethren did burgling while the sisters did the watching, and | afterwards assisted in the disposal of the stolen property. The girl realised the dangerous posiout when her parents called her home to VValche. This was some months ago, and in the interval between then and now various members of the gang came to Armidale and endeavored to force her into returning to Sydney to carry out her oath. The girl said that before she left Sydney she had actually kept v/atch at the scene of several successful burglaries wljich were executed by the gang. She declined the overtures to return to Sydney, and finally, according to her, the leader of the gang came to Armidale a fortnight ago. Being frightened to refuse, she met him by appointment. He first entreated her to return, professing an undying love for her. When she remained obdurate the shooting followed, the girl’s story being that the man obtained a revolver from her which she always carried and then shot, her.— Christchurch Press correspondent.