CRIME IN PARIS.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XLI, Issue 9391, 13 December 1920, Page 8

CRIME IN PARIS.

1 .THEFTS » AND MUII'DER

JEWELS, ( 'MQ.f ORS ANDi-SUGAR

; A dancer strangled in' Her bfed and ' her jewels worth 100,000 francs sto- . .len, a theft of motor ■ cars, and police inspector killed while attempting to ar- . rest the thieves, and the arrest of a gang of thieves, including, it is alleged, a former American officer, who'stole a wagon-load of sugar—such are among the "faits divers" recorded this week-end (says the Paris correspondent of the "Daily Telegraph" on September 18). Mademoiselle 'Yvonne Schmitf'sjewels had dazzled the thieves, who saw her dance ,at Marseilles, and they resolved' to obtain possession of them. They forced an entrance into the house where she was, lodging, and strangled her in bed; but not finding the jewels they entered the room of her landlady, who, under threats of death, indicated the place where they were hidden. In escaping with the treasure they found thenu.c-.lves in the rooms "of a doctor, whom they knocked on the liead and threatened to strangle if he interfered with their flight. I" 1 he- doctor locked himself in a. room and the thieves got away. • Curious statements have been made in connection with this affair, and there is a hint of coni'ing revelations.

The police inquiry into the theft of two niotor ears at Epinay brought to light. the fact that one of the vehicles had been brought to a. .garage in the Rue Vercirigetorix. The police inspectors kept a watch on the place in the hope or arresting the thieves, and three of them duly arrived at three, o'clock in the morning. The police inspectors attempted to seize the thieves who, ran off. One took refuge in a house, and was arrested ; the others, closely pursued, were on the point of being captured when they faced the ' inspectors and fired their revolvers at them. Inspectors Girot and Aymard fell, -" the former dying in hospital. Passers-by gave chase, and' 1 succeeded in arresting one of the ruffians. ' The first man arrested confessed that the concierge of the nursing home at Epinay from which ithe motor cars were, stolen had facilitated the theft. The concierge was'arrested. During the last few months there have been extensive thefts oh State railways, truckloads of cloth and sugar having disappeared. The railway police were mobilised, and a wagon-load of sugar, was followed from' Havre to Paris:: During the journey the tickets and letters on the ; \vagon. were changed. ..The. police allowed the wagon to be discharged at Vaugirard Station, and found that the consignee handed over the sugar,. ; to a former American officer, who'paid three francs'"a kilofor it,. and sold; tcK a firm quantities of- r the sugar"' for 90,000 francs, the money changing hands in a little-cafe., ji The firm sold the .sugar to a dealer,' who in turn sold it to a commission house., The- commission house sold it ••to another dealer, who sold it to a group of confectioners. I Sweets are very dear in Paris just now, and no wonder when sugar passes through the hands :qf so many intermediaries. The consignee, the American, and four accomplices were arrested and the chief ..of the' band was caught later oil.