THEO THE THIEF.

Auckland Star, Volume LVII, Issue 177, 28 July 1926, Page 14

THEO THE THIEF.

■■■ i ■ ■ ■ m , ■ , DARING ESCAPE FROM GAOL. WARDER BLUFFED. A CLEAN GET-AWAY. Climbing two high walls with the. agility of a cat, and bluffing a warder by saying that he was an electrician sent to '-'fix up the wires," John Keith Monson (22), clerk, also known as Stokesbury and Richard Morrenci, escaped from the Metropolitan Gaol, Coburg-. Melbourne. Monson, whom the. police describe as one of the most active and picturesque criminals for his age who have passed through their hands, was awaiting sentence on a charge of larceny from the Apollo Inn, Ruesell Street, Melbourne. His criminal career began at the age i of 14. This is the third time he has escaped from custody. As a boy he was known to the police as "The Kid," but recently he himself assumed the name of "Theo, the Thief." He has a dapper appearance, and sometimes wears a boxer hat. , Story of Escape. After the cells in the main corridor of the gaol were unlocked on a recent morning Monson was placed with other prisoners awaiting sentence in one of the several remand yards which radiate from a. common centre. Overlooking these yards is a tower, in which an armed warder usually parades. Monson, it is thought, asked one of the other prisoners to assist him to escape. This prisoner, the police believe, allowed Monson to climb on to his shoulders and scale the remand yard wall. Once in the common grounds of the gaol, in which the administrative offices are located, Monson, who was dressed in civilian attire, calmly walked around towards the front gate at which a warder was posted. "Who are you 1" promptly asked the ~f aider. 'Tm the Electrician." : "Oh, I'm the electrician. They sent for mc to fix up the •wires," naively replied Monson. ' Monson then jumped on to a gasmeter box, and reaching a small shed, leapt to the top of the 18ft wall surrounding .the gaol grounds, and escaped. I Shortly afterwards the gaol authorities were alarmed at the discovery that the warder had been deluded, and that Monson's clever ruse had resulted in him getting clean away. i Inspector Campbell, of the Criminal Investigation Branch, was advised, and {Detectives Carey, Harding and Madin ■were sent in a police car to search the streets of the city and suburbs for the fugitive, but no trace of him could be found. Monson's Career. Monson, who is of an aggressive and garrulous type, has had a rather remarkable criminal career. ; .He was born in West Australia. At "the age of 14 he was convicted in Perth for stealing, but was released as a first Offender. Two years later he was again arrested in Perth and convicted on seven charges of stealing from a dwelling, breaking and entering, breaking and entering an office and shop and housebreaking. He was committed to an industrial school until 18 years of age. A month later he escaped from the industrial school, was promptly rearrested, aud returned to the school. Three months later he escaped again and left the State. Nearly two years after—on September 4, 1922—he was tried in Melbourne on « charge of larceny and acquitted. He was rearrested again a month later and tried on a similar charge and again .acquitted. A 1923 Escapade. In April, 1923, Detective H. Dunn arrested Monson in a flat at St. Kilda with another criminal after a desperate struggle. Monson attempted to jump out of a window, but was caught by the leg by Dunn, who was endeavouring to clear up big robberies of silk in the city. Monson received a sentence of nine months for receiving. When before the City Court on this charge, Monson, fluent in language, pleaded pathetically with the late Mr. Knight, P.M. His appeal having failed, he poured forth a torrent of abuse on the deteotives. After his release from gaol, Monson returned to the West, where on September 24, 1924, he was fined for assault. He was a witness for the defence in the sensational murder of a taxi driver in Perth. The murderer was sentenced to death, but this was later commuted to imprisonment for life. On December 2, 1924, Monson was sentenced to 18 months' imprisonment in Perth for breaking and entering. He came to Melbourne on his discharge in March last. "Theo the Thief." Some weeks ago a safe in the dining room of the Apollo Inn was robbed, and two gold watches, two chains, and some receipts were stolen. A large sum of money which had been placed in the safe earlier in the evening had been removed by the licensee before she retired. Next day the receipts were posted back to the licensee with the following note: — "Please lock the safe in future, also the kitchen window. Just my luck, old top; you are a cunning old fox.— Theo the Thief." The police found that Monson had stayed at the hotel and had left before breakfast on the morning the robbery was discovered. Detectives Carey and Harding went to the Kerry Family Hotel, King Street. in search of him. Monson jumped from an upstairs bedroom window on to, a shed and escaped. Caught in King Street. Some nights, later a party of detectives travelling up King Street in a motor car saw Monson. Detectives Gooden and Harding got out and staggered along the footpath on either side, pretending to-be drunk. Monson saw Harding and crossed the road and approached Gpoden, who was rolling about. Just as Monson- was about to speak, Gooden grabbed him, and the other detectives came on the scene. Monson appealed to a peedstrian to release him, stating that he w-as being robbed. The pedestrian was soon disillusioned.