MONKEY AS THIEF.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIV, Issue 13485, 11 May 1907, Page 2 (Supplement)

MONKEY AS THIEF.

Four men and a female monkey Lave been caught picking pockets at the Ham fair and arrested, says a Paris correspondent of a London contemporary. One the former, an old soldier from Algeria, earned the animal under his arm. • The monkey is a dear, engaging little thing, and the holiday crowd stopped to pet it. ..',' . ■ i Not a bit shy, it made up to everyone, j allowed itself to lie fondled and fed, and | played prettily at rifling its new/-found friends' coat pockets. , , It ■ had a funny little face, and a look quite like a' human's." • It was, in fact, extremely human, and its play was no play at all. It rifled pockets in earnest, and while its admirers were saying, " Dear little thing!" and studying its expression, it removed purses and watches rapidly and passed them round with marvellous sleight of paw to its master. The four accomplices of the monkey, when arrested, explained the game,, "Shi's a wonder. ■ She practically wanted no training, but took to the trick natural-like, and she beats the best man, woman, or .child at it."- • '