A Gentleman Burglar.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1424, 15 June 1899, Page 14

A Gentleman Burglar.

AN AMAZING STORY OF TO-DAY. t Borne remarkable particulars of Robert Graham, the so-called “'gentleman burglar,” who was sentenced to five years’ penal servitude at Shrewsbury Quarter Sessions on 10th April for a big robbery of jewls in that town, arc furnished by til© “Crime Investigator” of our contemporary, _ the “Weekly Dispatch,” in its issue of 2nd April. Graham was the genuine “gentleman burglar”- of romance. A highly respectable citizen by day, renting a villa at Highbury and with his name and address in the “Court Guide ” ne was oy night one of the most accomplished cracksmen or his time. Peace did the same sort of thing, but he had none of the fine instincts in this direction that Graham had. Peace was satisfied with a modest little cottage. But Graham was less modest. He maintained an establishment which betokened him to be a man of substantial means. And he was. It was his boast that he made upwards of £25,000 a year out of his “business.’ It was not precisely clear what tin’s very remunerative “business” was. But he attended church regularly. kept his carriage and pair of horses, liberally supported ail the charitable movements, had the best of everything in and out of season, and gave excellent little dinners to his neighbours and the better class of people in the locality, who did not fail to note how beautifully his house was furnished, and what admirable taste was displayed m everything. He also enhanced his reputation by assisting the peer and needy. He was not a burglar in the strict acceptation of the word, for eschewing the large suburban residences and the family seat in the country, lie confined his operations to well-stocked, jewellers’ shops, where he could scoop up in a few minutes thousands of pounds’ worth of costly articles which were not only easily concealed about Ins person, or carried in a small bag, but which, too, were soon placed beyond all possibility of identification by being dropped into a melting pot or broken up and reset by the assistant whom he employed for this purpose.

His method of working was no less artistic than it was daring and effective.’ He would travel down to a town which he had selected as a suitable field, for his enterprise in a first-class carriage, with not much in the way of personal luggage. On arrival, he lunched at one of the , best hotels-, and 'then''he would saunter out for a smoke. He paid particular attention to the shops, and having found out the situation of the best jeweller’s premises, he would take rooms at the hotel nearest to the shop he considered the most accessible. Adopting an assumed name, he lost no time in acquainting himself with the habits and customs of the owner of the jeweller’s shop upon which he had set his nefarious intentions. He always selected lock-up shops, and sometimes he would spend a week or so in apparently idling about, but, in reality, closely watching the movements of all the people connected with the place. At the hotel he occupied the best rooms, drank the best wines, smoked the best cigars, and, in fact, had the best of everything. In the smoke room at night he was the best of company, having apparently an inexhaustible fund of anecdotes and stories. His clothes -were of the best quality • and most fashionable cut. Standing on the hotel steps smoking a cigar, apparently a model of gentility, he coolly matured his plans, arranging in his mind how he could enter and leave the premises. There was one article of his kit to which he was most stiperst.itiously attached. That was a small mask, consisting of a piece of black cloth. This mask he regarded as his talisman, and he firmly believed that it would be a bad day for him when he lost it : . And so it was. In carrying out Iris last robbery at Shrewsbury he lost his mask. He also lost his hat, and a description of the guest who returned bare headed to the Talbot Hotel having been obtained, Graham was soon afterwards arrested at Highbury. Upon the detectives paying a visit to Highburycrescent they found in a bureau in the library £2OOO worth of jewels, all set with diamonds, and subsequently all these were identified as part of the proceeds of the robberies in the towns mentioned.

Graham was caught by the skill of Detectives Gough and Ferret, of Bow street. Some time ago the former happened to have his attention drawn to Graham in the latter’s capacity as a prosperous respectable citizen, when he chanced to notice a couple of valuable diamond rings which he was wearing. These set him thinking. Further inquiries strengthened suspicion, and from this small circumstance it resulted that

this redoubtable “Spider” of real life—you remember his famous prototype life—the Silver King—was laid by the heels.