PROFESSOR & BURGLAR

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXI, Issue 10714, 5 October 1912, Page 7

PROFESSOR & BURGLAR

GiIIUAGO 3,1 AN S EX'IKAOKDI.V AHY DOUBLE LIKE.

NEW YOKK a August 10

An amateur cracksman ot rare ingenuity lias been captured by the Chicago police in lue person ol'.Jacol) M. Guthrie, a professor of chemistry at the municipal l:iix>ruto;y. Guthrie is a university graduate, with e!;anning manners and of a gianc -stature, who, "just for the thrill of the tiling,'' to use his own words, Jias devoted his leisure hour;; during the last few months to committing burglaries at the houses of Chicago millionaire:;, afer being occupied in teaching during the day. His success lia.s been amazing. Since March lie has stolen jewellery, lace, pictures, fans, statues, tapestries, and silks worth, the police estimate, between £50,000 and £70,000 How lie succeeded in carrying to safety many large art treasures is a mystery to the police, wlio for months have been baffled by ail extraordinary series of burglaries. Guthrie apparently enjoys the notoriety which his capture has brought him. He smilingly explained that he conceived the idea of pursuing the career of an amateur cracksman after reading a book of that name. He hired a barn at a rental of'3os a month, and there stored the priceless proceeds of his burglaries. "T have not sold a single article." he says, "but I used to feast my eves on the treasures once a week."

Guthrie's capture Mas duo to the fact that in the course of the summer lie added forgery to the list of hi;-' criminal a/ooniplishments. While looting the house of Mrs Ella Wjlson he discovered her bankbook. The perusal of her letters showed him that her hank balance was £IOOO. He .studied her signature with the aid of a bundle of returned cheques, and succeeded in cashing forged cheques to the amount of £3OOO. As Mrs Wilson was travelling in Japan the forgeries were not noticed for some time. With tho proceeds of the forgeries he spec ilia tod in stocks but lost, some £6OO. TREASURES IN A BARN. On August 3 Guthrie was taking a deposit to the Northern Trust Company when o detective seized him. He broke away, fled down the street, and was captured after a fierce struggle. On the way to the police-sta-tion tho officers noticed him placo a piece of paper in his mouth. Immediately they clutched him by the threat a::d recovered the piece <:' paper, which proved to be a rec<;i l ' + for fhe rent of the barn, where twelve {runlcs filled with the rarest collection of valuables were discovered later. It is said to be worth at least £50,000. "It is the costliest collection <J stolen articles I have ever seen during my connection with the police department." said Inspector TTnlpin, the chief of the detective force, or; Sunday, as lie admitted a number of wealthy Chicago women desirous < f identifying their stolen treasures. T)r Leslie, the family physician of the Guthries, after examining the prisoner, pronounced him to be an "educated fool," in whom kleptomania had been induced by the constant reading of detective stories. Guthrie says, "I may be insane," but he declares tliat, sane or insane, he can conceive no joy so fierce and satisfying as that of prowling in a rich man's house in the small hours of the morning and stealing his heirlooms. The police, who have examined Guthrie, were greatly impressed by his scholastic acquirements, and the family history ef insanity, and say that otherwise they would be unable to accept the defence of kleptomania furiosa as a complete answer.