WONDER THIEF

Manawatu Times, Volume LIII, Issue 6543, 27 February 1928, Page 9

WONDER THIEF

“MILORWD” OF NAPLES. SCIENTIFIC CRIMINAL.. Following a two years’ fruitless search by the Italian police for a master criminal, known by reason of j Lis monocle and English clothes sis , the “Milord,” who robbed the NuploS| Treasury storehouse of revenue stamps worth £350.000, it Is thought ho may bo the scientific thief’ whoso daring robberies in the West End recently have baffled Scotland Yard. Despite road barriers and armed foot and motor patrols, numerous big stores and jewellers shops have been I entered, while even the homes of Scotland-Yard's “Big Five” have boon burgled. The possible linke between the leader of the gang operating In I London and the “nobleman” wanted , by the Italian police is the spcrlativej science displayed by the criminal. It was only a most insignificant Incident which gave the Italian C.I.D. a clue to the Treasury theft. The owner of a building near the Treasury storehouse asked police permission to force the door of a cellar rented to a cobbler named Tout, who vanished without paying- the rent. In the cellar were revenue stamps worth nearly £150,000, which, apparently, the thieves had been unable to carry away, jicd a door in the cellar floor was dis-1 covered which led to the sewer system of Naples by means of a narrow tunnel. A pair of rubber boots and a gas mask lying nearby showed the tenant had been in the habit of exploring the sewers. The police followed his example and found an opening had been made in a 5-foot thick wall of the Treasury, through which j the hoard of stamps was reached. I Evidently the thieves had stolen more stamps than they could dispose of. The Italian police succeeded in linking up the cobbler Tonut with the apparently wealthy and monocled Eng-1 lish “Milord,” through the arrest of an accomplice, named Manon, at Turin. ! Manou's confession revealed that “Milord” is a specialist in crime, employing the most daring tactics, the most ■nu'iVrn Vr glory tools, and is nh expert in concrete. Traces of this wonder thief wore discovered at Barcelona and Madrid, but, thereafter he j disappeared completely. The police, | however, think it unlikely a criminal of "Milord’s” calibre could resist the j urge to stage more sensational coups, especially in England where monocled men are not uncommon.