BURGLARS IN BERLIN.

Evening Star, Issue 14037, 19 April 1909, Page 8

BURGLARS IN BERLIN.

* : Three criminals, named Herbert Kuhnel, George Kuhne, and Wilhelm Hotze, who attempted a daring robbery from a jeweller's shop in the Potsdamerstrasse, one of the busiest streets in the capital, turned out to be professional thieves of the "Raffles" type. Kuhnel, the leader of the band, comes of a good family, and was an officer in the 52nd Infantry Regiment until 1907. His name still .appears on the list of officers in the leserves. The second member of the band, George Kuhne, is tha son of a prosperous merchant, and has received an excellent education and moved in good society. Wilhelm Hotze is likewise a man of good birth and education. All three of them were professional criminals. They dressed extremely we'l, frsquented the best restaurants, and were invited to some of the most exclusive houses in Berlin. . *-Wife Left in Ignorance.— Kuhnel, by virtue of his military rank, had, in particular, excellent social connections, which he exploited to obtain information on which plans of robbery were frequently based. George Kuhne was formerly a municipal official, but left this occupation to become private secretary to : Prince Hermann of Saxe-Weimar. After leaving the service of Prince Hermann Kuhne established a financial agency business in Berlin, which he has nominally been conducting while really pursuing a criminal career. He occupied sumptuous • apartments in the west end of Berlin, and | his wife, who was entirely ignorant of his j criminal propensities, always regarded him J a.5 a hard-working, prosperous business i man. Wilhelm Hotze, who was formerly ia bank clerk, was, a man whose smart J dress was always conspicuous. , He fre- ; quentad the most expensive restaurants, j where he picked up acquaintances for the I purpose of victimising them. The three j criminals together carried out many sucI cessful robberies, and lived a luxurious l —'" "*—"

life" on the proceeds of their misdeeds, j Night after night the three accomplices, | after dining at the houses of society lead- . ers or fashionable restaurants, met and carried put burglaries with skill and daring | Kuhne explained' his long absence at "night from his wife by stating that he had important negotiations to conduct in eon-nection-with his business. The three leading criminals had an accomplice; in the j person of a locksmith, named Otter Scachc. who made tbe .necessary tools .for them j and afterwards disposed of their'plunder ■to receivers of stolen goods. Nttmerou.papers found in their respective "dwelling:- | reveal many previous crimes in which all 'i of them were "concerned. , ; - ■» < i