A “PENNYWEIGHTER'S” PAST

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1748, 6 September 1905, Page 49

A “PENNYWEIGHTER'S” PAST

(From Our Special Correspondent.) LONDON, July 38. When Mrs Annie Grant was arrested, for filching a valuable pearl necklace from Messrs Christie's world-famed auction rooms, a good deal of amazement was expressed at her audacity, and cleverness. The police here did not know her and she was variously reported as “a lady moving in good society,” “a lady of rank,” “a widow of independent means,” etc. The theft was a daring one and hut for a very small oversight on the lady's part would probably have escaped attention till she had had at any rate sufficient time to cache her booty. The necklace was “on view” at Christie's) for several days, and Mrs Grant studied it to such purpose that she was able to go out and buy for <£s in the Burlington Arcade such an excellent imitation that only an expert could perceive the difference between the real and the false. Mrs Grant successfully “palmed” the genuine article and installed the imitation in its place, but unfortunately for her a dealer who had examined the necklace just before the exchange occurred came back to have another look at it. He noticed that during his brief absence the tab attached to the article had changed from a decided buff to pure white. Ho at once raised an alarm and Mrs Grant was stopped and challenged. She fairly bristled with indignation. “How dare you insult nie "in that manner?” oho exclaimed- in the most approved grand dame style, and with a toss of her Head, and a duchess-like sivish of her s lk dress she swept past tlie half-scared accu?:rs into the street. When they had recovered their senses, the first thtng they saw was the necklace reposing on the

doormat at the place the vanishing lady had recently stood. She- wa-s chased and caught, and in spite of her indignant protestations locked up. The report of the theft reached America in due course and when Mrs Grant was placed on trial at the Old Bailey, the detective in charge of the case was able to produce some startling facts anent the antecedents of “the lady of rank” etc. The prisoner is a native of Chicago, and her. naan© is Annie Gleason. She ia a married woman with tAvo children, and her husband is at the present time serving a term of eight years' penal servitude. in May lbU4 she was arrested in New York for shop-lifting, bail in <£3oo being alloAved. Before, hoAV'ever, the time arrived for her to surrender to ansA\ r er that charge she was again arrested. O'n this occasion she Avas admitted to bail J n a further sum of <£loo. Almost immediately afterwards she absconded and came to E'ngland. Here she has lived during the past twelve months, her, associates being a gang of well-known American and Continental thieves. The folloAving letter, Avhich had been i-eceiv-ed at Scotland-yard from the Bureau of Detectives in New Yoi*k was read at the Old Bailey: “Having noticed in the newspapers here the publication of .he fact that one Annie Grant, of Chicago, was under arrest in your city, < aarged av !t li stealing a C,ecklace valued at ,£2OOO, I foi*Avard phot j of Annie Gleason, a professional shop-lifter, who may be the party whom you have in custody. She is the wife of ‘Mickey' Gleason, a professional bank sneak thief, avLlo A\*as arrested in Baltimore a short time ago, and is noAV serving an eight years' terra of imprisonment. This woman is a veTyclever shop-lifter and penuy-Aveightor, and is wanted herrt for forfeit ire of bail, but Ave have no recorck. cf previous ccnvictions, she being fortunate encugn to escape punishment whenever appro, bended.” “What is a penny-Aveighter ?” inquired the Recorder. said the iu?i>ctor, ‘is one who goes into a jeweller’s shop, inspects jeivellery, and by means of some eticky substance on the finger* manages to palm an article and deposit it beneath the ledge of the counter for; a confederate entering later as a tended customer to pick up. As the Recorder remarked “We live and learn.” And Annie Grant alias Gleason will have the opportunity of studying, undisturbed by the cruel necessity of finding food and - shelter, the ancient, if oft scorned axiom “Honesty: is the best policy.”