BURGLAR DRENCHED BY FIRE BRIGADE.

Press, Volume LIV, Issue 9812, 23 August 1897, Page 4

BURGLAR DRENCHED BY FIRE BRIGADE.

There is something very pleasing aboufi the pantomimic story which cornea from Kreuznach, in Germany. A thief of name of Koch succeeded in escaping from tho local house of detention, and, making his way over the house-tops, found a refug* on the roof of the National Bank. Here ha revealed himself stauding on the parapet, froui which point of vantage he defied the polioe who were congregated. below. The Uttet could think of no better device than to summon the district fire brigade, tvho played upon the burglar Koch with thei. hose, while he retorted by detaohing tiles from the roof, which he dropped with fairly accurate aim upon the heads of those who were besieging him. Aa he was already soaked from head to foot, and showed no signs of yielding, the fire escape was brought up, and the police prepared to storm the position. Koch now drew a knife and threatened either to kill the first man who approached or to hurl himself into the street below, while he made desporato efforts to loosen the stone coping and crush a number of his invaders beneath it. Tho end, however, came unexpectedly, A mason who had reached the roof through a trap door seized the thief from behind! and after a terrible, struggle on the edge oi the parapet, secured him with ropes ing to the fire brigade. He was then lifted l down the escape. The street during the time presented the extraordinary spectacle of a whole fire brigade with hose, safety- : netting and ladders, besieging one man.