Shoplifting “Toar” From London to Glasgow

Manawatu Times, Volume 62, Issue 167, 16 July 1937, Page 11

Shoplifting “Toar” From London to Glasgow

SMART ROUND-UP BY POLICE “This is just a ’clique’ of professional shoplifters who organise a deliberate raid over the border, hiring a car for three days . . . one day to travel from London, one day to raid the shops, and one day to get back. This has all the signs of skilful planning.” Sheriff Robertson at Glasgow Sheriff Court, thus referred to three London people, George Frederick I£ ills, agea 30, his wife, Margaret Mills, aged 38, and Mrs Ellen Wbitd, aged 57, who was a boarder in their house at Tooting. All three had been neatly trapped by tho police after they had been concerned in stealing coats and fur ncckI lets from Glasgow warehouses. Watch Kept. j The women did tho stealing, and by arrangement Mills, driving a car, met them in a public house. A suspicious employee, having observed their movements, notified tho police as to the registration number. This showed that the car came from London, and the next morning Detec-tive-Inspector Dow, Detective Mann, and Policewoman Barclay in a patrol car kept a watch on the garage where it was kept while in Glasgow. Driving the car out, Mills picked up the women in the street. The officers followed the car through the centre of the city to Bridgeton Cross, where they lost trace of it as they wero held up. Suspecting, however, that the car was bound for London, they took that road, and just outside tho city boundary they overtook and stopped it. In the car were three pieces of brownpaper and a ball of twine, part of tbt stock in trade of expert shoplifters, and almost hidden in the upholstery was the price tag of a silver fox fur stolen the previous day. Booty Posted. “As it is the practice of shoplifters to forward stolen property by post or train,” stated Mr T. G. Muir, prosocuting, “Scotland Yard was communirated with, and asked to watch the house occupied by the three people in London, and to intercept any parcels.** Later that day, word was received from Scotland Yard that threfi parcels had arrived at Mills* house from Glasgow, addressed to Mrs White. They contained seven fox furs and three ladies* coats, value £ll7 325, all of which were identified as having been stolen in Glasgow. The paper and string on the parcel* were similar to those found in the car. Mills admitted previous conviction* in London, and tho women had been dealt with in other parts of England. Mills and his wife, however, had not been convicted since 1925. Mrs White was last in tho dock in 1933. Mills and his wife were oach sentenced to nine months’ hard labour, and Mrs White was ordered twelve r months.' Sheriff Robertson cc -’•atulated the detectives and the policewoman