JAPANESE VERSION.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIX, Issue 229, 28 September 1938, Page 17

JAPANESE VERSION.

DR. JEKYLL AND MR. HYDE.

STRANGE LIFE OF WOMAN THIEF.

TOKYO. The wits of the Tokyo police have recently been exercised by an unusual case—that of a woman who lived the traditional life of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, poeing as * well-to-do mother of • family in the daytime and robbing wealthy homes after dark. The woman in question was Mrs. Yoshiko Sakurai, aged S3. Her husband was a building contractor who lost most of his money aa the result pf unfortunate ventures some years ago. Faced with poverty and Vrith five children to care for, the couple decidcd to resort to theft, with the wife doing the active pilfering while her huaband undertook to dispose of the loot. Worth £3000. Mrs. Sakurai seenta to have been uncommonly skilled fit her illicit trade; for she h«« confessed to more than 100 robberies, which netted her cash, jewels, and other objects worth about 50,000 yen (almost £3000 sterling). Her method was to select wealthier homes for her depredations, both because tliey promised more spoil and because, in spite of or because of the larger number of servants, they are less carefully guarded. Doors and windows are more often left open or unbarred. The disposal of the atolen objects finally led to Mre. Sakurai's arrest. Her husband was arrested on suspicion, and when she came to viait him in prison a detective noted that ahe was wearing a valuable pin which, had recently been reported a« stolen. , A search of the Sakurai house revealed many atolen article*. Both the children and the neighbours expressed amazement at the discovery, since Mrs. Sakurai was always well dressed and alwaya returned home before midnight.