A Clever Arrest.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume X, Issue 3377, 4 December 1889, Page 2

A Clever Arrest.

For some timo past a number of robberries have occurred in tho coffee palaces and hotels of Melbourne. In eacli case tho bedrooms of some of tho lodgers were entered and rifled while their occupants were absent at their morning bath. From inquiries made into tho matter by the detectives, it was ascertained that on each occasion when a robbery occurred two young men, who described themselves as recent arrivals from England, took rooms at the hotel or coffee palace, and left in tho morning before the robbery was discovered. A description of these men was obtained, and furnished to the managers of all the principal hotels and coffee pahces in and around the city, with a request that if they should put in an appearance beds should be given them, and n message sent to the detective office On Monday night information was received at the detective office that two men answering the description had turned up at tho St Kilda Coffee Palace, and Detectivesergeant Cawsey and Detective Smith were told off to inquire into the matter, They obtained a bedroom next door to that occupied by the two distinguished strangers from Home, and in the morning Detectivesorgeant Cawsey, having first of all placed his colleague in the passage to intorcopt the flight of the thieves, left all his jewellery and a large cash box containing a small sum of money lying in a tempting manner on the dressing-table of his bedroom, and started out as if he were going for a bath. The scheme was eminently successful, for scarcely had he disappeared from sight than the two young men emerged cautiously from their room, went into the room next door, and helped themselves to all the valuables, which had really been left there as a bait for them. The detectives at once appeared ou the scene, and arrested the men with all the stolen property in their possession.