BURGLAR PLAYS RAFFLES

Evening Star, Issue 19198, 15 March 1926, Page 1

BURGLAR PLAYS RAFFLES

JOINED IN HUNT FOR HIMSELF Somewhere in the Tyneside area is a biirgla- whose smart appearance, amazing coolness, presence of mind, and daring eiuule Jiim to rank' as a real-lile Rallies. His keen sense of humor and appreciation of the dramatic were demonstrated in the exploit now to be described. It might be called “The Burglar Who Hunted Himself.” The house of an elderly gentleman at South Shields was deserted on a recent evening, the master having gone out and Ids wife paying a visit to their daughter's home next door. From noises they heard in the house the motiier ami daughter concluded that the husband had returned home, and they went to rejoin him. As they entered tlio house an electric torch Hashed np.m them, and a well-spoken, smartly-dressed man behind it hastened to apologise for and explain his presence in the house—a complete stranger.

Calmly he assured mother and daughter that lie had seen someone break into the house, that lie had followed, and that he was even then engaged in a search for the burglar. It never entered the heads of the ladies that the story was “ lisliy,” .so convincing and reassuring was the stranger’s manner. The daughter’s husband .had by this time joined the ladies, and the party ot four searched the house from top to bottom. Eventually the son-in-law said he would fetch the police, as it was useless to search over and over again. So off he went, leaving the polite stranger with the ladies. This was the signal tor the stranger to stage his little drama. “I am the burglar,” lie told the horrified ladies, adding that, he had left his jemmy at the back of the house. He said lie would go and get it, and that was the last they saw of him, for he made a swift escape. When the young man arrived with the police, further investigation re. ; vealed (hat the self-possessed and amiable visitor had decamped with money and other valuables. An equally successful hoax was practised by a housebreaker at Tyne Dock. Here a man, who appeared to be, under the influence of drink, was found in a house.

When called upon for an explanation, lie said lie. must have made a mistake and got into the wrong house. They were sympathetic folk, and went so far as to assist him on his unsteady way home. At the end of the street he assured them that he was all right and could find his way home. On liis helpers' return home they found that they had helped some ot their own money, and jewellery on its way. The “drunken” stranger had made no mistake about selecting valuables. ,