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New Zealand Herald, Volume LI, Issue 15551, 7 March 1914, Page 2 (Supplement)

ROBBERY BY AID OF A SNAKE. PLOT TO CREATE PANIC. The recent arrest at Munich of two daring international hotel thieves has frustrated an extraordinary plan for securing jewels worth £20,000, and has revealed a scheme for carrying out the sensational coup with the help of a python. It is reported from Munich that the I robbery has been two years in preparation. For the -previous three weeks a wealthy English gentleman and his wife, whose names have not been made public, had been staying at one of the chief Munich hotels. Shortly after their arrival a gentleman from Scandinavia put up at the same hotel. He appeared to be very wealthy, making a great display of diamonds and having an enormous amount of luggage. He quickly obtained an introduction to the English couple, and be- ' came very friendly with tliem- One day the Scandinavian was visited by a man , who gave the name " Frankly," of St. ] Petersburg, and in him the Englishman recognised the person who had aroused j his suspicions on many occasions, and who had obviously been following him 1 about during his travels in the past two years. ' The Englishman communicated his sub pic-ions to the police, and the Scandinavian was arrested during the night, the police also being able to take Frankly into custody. The Scandinavian's luggage was examined and the police were astounded to find a python coiled up in a bath, which was part of the Scandinavian's belongings. The reptile, which was handled by a keeper from the Zoo. bad evidently • had nothing to eat for many weeks, and hunger had so weakened and reduced it that it was practically harmless. j When the people in the hotel heard that such a reptile was on the premises something like a panic took place, and it is obvious that the thieves, by turning the python loose in a room or corridor, intended to create a panic during which they would be able to carry out their