COURT HOODWINKED

Hawera Star, Volume LI, 12 September 1930, Page 8

COURT HOODWINKED

COM FRY IN I’All IS

There arc more little comedies in the Palais tie Justice in Paris than most people suspect-. A man will-0' recently had his pocket- book stolen was informed by the police that the pickpocket had been arrested, and lie- was) invited to present himself at- lhc- office of the examining magistrate. There he found nearly a dozen other people who had been .robbed., -and presently the ,prisoner. was led in.

The stolen objects were exhibited on the magistrate’s desk. hirst a woman identified one of them. The thief, having \erilied her name and add reus, said : “Yes. niadame. that is voids. I

stole it I*llolll you.” Other objects wore idointitteiT ami their theft admitted by the prisoner after he hart verified the names and addresses of the claimant, fur lie was a methodical man who kept a record of his own misdeeds. Then came the question of identifying: the contents of a small packet very •carefully tied with strong string. The magistrate and the police officers tried in vain to undo the knot, and after much f umh'iing and hesitation, in the end the string was cut. And only then was it discovered that the' pYisoner, taking! advantage of the general .preoccupation of the parcel, had walked out of the place and disappear ml.