FRENCH ROBBER GANG.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXIX, Issue 141, 13 June 1908, Page 15

FRENCH ROBBER GANG.

SMART CAPTURE OP DESPERATE CRIMINALS. A tremendous catch has been made by the French police, a whole gang of robbers having .been detected and captured under very exciting circumstances'. For a long time a sort of reign of terror had existed among the peaceable inhabitants of the neighbouring departments of Selne-et-Oise and Seine-et-Marne. People were attacked, houses were pillaged, telephone wires cut, and enough horses to mount a regiment stolen from stables and fields. A few arrests had been made since the beginning of this year, but the mischief continued unchecked. The police were at their wits' end, when one night, as dawn was approaching, a couple or inspectors noticed a large cart, such as is used for transport of furniture, drawing up at a villa at Rainey. A strong force was promptly on the spot, the cart was found to contain valuable booty; and a search in the cellars revealed any amount of telephone wire. The tenants —four in number —were arrested, and little by little the leader of the gang made confessions. He owned to the pillage of many villas in the neighbourhood in company with his lieutenants, the whole making quite a lengthy list. Considering that he had been betrayed, the ringleader followed up these avowals by furnishing an equally long list of his accomplices, most of whom dwelt at Montmartre, Aubervilliers, and Pautin, but are now all secure under lock and key in the Pontoise gaol.

Not content with plunder, the gang, as has been said, often attacked peaceable wayfarers, and one of the robbers relates with gusto the story of an adventure with a young married couple at liomuinville last summer. The wedding festivities over, they were on their way to their new home, when they fell among thieves. "As we were relieving them of their money jewellery, and some of their clothes, the bride implored us to let her keep her wedding ring. My companions, touched by her lamentations, were about to yield, when I took possession of the ring, exclaiming that I had rather cut her finger off than leave it to her. Another member of the gang has, as is affirmed, confessed that he and some of his companions burgled a villa at Romalnville six years ago, the owner of which, whose corpse was found in the well next day, was supposed to have drowned himself in despair. Not a bit of it, the malefactor says. The fact is that "tie Pere Martin" appeared on the scene while they were busy, so, fearing tliat lie would denounce them, the ringleader threw himself on the poor old man, dragged SSn to .the well, and pitched him In. And the best of it was, he added with a grim smile, that at that date the newspapers announcing his death statedthat he had thrown himself into the well. Two dozen arrests have been made, but one man has since been allowed to go free provisionally. Among these prisoners are three soldiers,- and among those who are still wanted is a soldier serving In the Casa Rlsinca Hinterland. It Is long since the police have made such an important haul.