A ROBBERS CAVE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 11650, 11 May 1901, Page 2 (Supplement)

A ROBBERS CAVE.

POLICEMEN INTERRUPT THE BANDITS' REVELS.

The police in Paris have just discovered a new Ali Baba. One of them alighted upon the hand of robbers in a literal sense, as without calling " Open, sesame," he fell through the roof of the cave on to a supper party. The den was situated, of all places, in the foundations of the old Mazas prison, now pulled down. The policemen were on their beat near the hoarding which encloses the piece of waste ground when they saw two men carrying suspicious-looking bundles pass through an opening in the boards. One of the constables at once followed, while his colleague remained on the pavement in observation. The first policeman soon called out to the second that the two men had mysteriously disappeared, and asked his colleague to join him in the search. Constable No. 2 then went into the waste ground, but when he arrived there was not a soul in sight. His companion had vanished as well as the two presumed burglars. Shouts called forth no response; there was certainly some witchery at work. With this idea in his mind the policeman bolted, and arrived, panting, at the station, with the story of the uncanny disappearance of his fellow-constable. A strong force returned with him to the spot, and a. careful search was made of the ground. At last a clue was discovered,. One of the policemen came upon a hole half covered with planks, two of which had fallen in.' From below shone a light, and sounds of fighting, accompanied by oaths and threats, were heard. The policeman instantly jumped in and there found the missing member of the iorce, standing with his back to the wall of a roomy cave, and, with revolver in one hand and sword in the other, holding at bay about a dozen armed men and boys and two women. The remaining constables, following one after the other down the hole, soon over" powered the gang in the den. They then had leisure to examine the place. 'l( was scantily furnished with one table, but plentifully stocked with miscellaneous goods. These included ironmongery, porcelain wares bales of cloth, trinkets, and ornaments of all sorts heaped up in a pile in a coiner Elsewhere was a large assortment of tinned eatables of various kinds, meals, fish, vegetables, and fruit. On the table, which was lit by a very handsome wroiight-iron candelabra, were the remains of a supper A dobeii or so of the tins had supplied' the viands, while a lean of empty bottles lav strewn around the floor. The. inhabitant's ol the cave, the eldest of whom is 2U and the youngest 13, while the two ladies of the gang are aged 16 and 18, went quite quietly oil to the police station, where, with the lit most willingness, they gave all the informat ion desired of them. It appeared that, l hey had settled in the cave exactly that div three months, and were celebrating the ,','■ casion by a genteel tinned beef and lobster ''swarry," when the intruding policeman fell in upon them, dropping ihromdi the roof on to the middle ot the dinner table Since the cave-warming they had lived coin' fortably on the proceeds of shoplifting 01, taming provisions from stores laid out on pavements by grocers, and converting into cash other articles purloined from ironinon gers, clothiers, and various dealers The Ali Isaba of the gang, who told the story is the! eldest, and goes by the nickname of' "The Anarchist."