YOUTHFUL THIEF.
NEW YORK ESCAPADE. STOLEN JEWELS RECOVERED. NEW YORK, Dec. 20. The best detectives in New York searched for a week for a criminal, who was thought to be a combination of human fly and " Raffles- " and who laughed at skyscraper apartments and locksmiths. They found him in a youth of 17, Frederick Potter, a curtainhanger. Young Potter was working in the handsome home of Mrs. Eleanor Brewster, a social leader, when he saw a member of the family open a bookcase, read a card, replace it and then twirl the dials of a small wall safe. The youth concealed himself and waited until the household w-as asleep. Then with great case he took jewellery worth £14,000, descended 11 flights of stairs and went home. Next day Potter was appalled by the excitement he had caused, and. gave the jewels to a friendly restaurant keeper, with the explanation that they were Christmas presents for the family, and a request to keep them until he called. When the police caught up with the youth he readily confessed and the restaurant safe disgorged the fortune.
Permanent link to this item
https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/NZH19311229.2.80
Bibliographic details
New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 21067, 29 December 1931, Page 7
Word Count
184YOUTHFUL THIEF. New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 21067, 29 December 1931, Page 7
Using This Item
NZME is the copyright owner for the New Zealand Herald. You can reproduce in-copyright material from this newspaper for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons New Zealand BY-NC-SA licence . This newspaper is not available for commercial use without the consent of NZME. For advice on reproduction of out-of-copyright material from this newspaper, please refer to the Copyright guide.
Acknowledgements
This newspaper was digitised in partnership with Auckland Libraries and NZME.