BURGLAR'S BOOTY.

NZ Truth, Issue 125, 9 November 1907, Page 5

BURGLAR'S BOOTY.

~ .* A PLANT UNDER THE BATH.

The Couriers From the Terrace.

A Lurk That Proved Fruitless.

When Messrs Ferris, Hamilton, and Sinclair were sentenced to 15 years' hard labor for various burglaries m the city, fervent prayers of relief and thankfulness were offered by merchants and citizens, who could, with a greater degree of safety, leave their businesses or their residences without having previously set mantraps or alarms, or employed special watchmen. This trio of dynamitards were not common ordinary sneakthifeves. They were murderers at heart, and happily, perhaps, they were not caught m the act of plundering as it is as certain as anything can be that they would have MURDERED IN COLD BLOOD an-T policeman or any other individual who lighted on them. They were armed to the teeth. The- assembled for an unlawful purpose, and to further that purpose this trio would not have hesitated to put a bullet into the heart or brain of anybody who attempted to spoil their burgling games. These burglars, daring and dastardly as they were, committed numerous robberies m the city. They were fMng at high game. From simple hotel-barber ing they attempted the unlawful entry of big warehouses, and it is a feather m the ' caps of the local -detective force that they were as quickly muzzled as they were, and Mr "Justice Cooper, after giving the trio 15 years anieoe, did not hesitate to warmly congratulate Detectives MeG-rath and Cassells for their capture. The hold, bad burglars, who went about with murder m their eves and hearts, were arrested at their diggings m Ghuznee-street, where a great deal of the spoils of their burglaries was also secured, and subsequently returned to their lawful owners. The fact, though, that these burglars got their nuietus (they got more than t'b'--- really expected, so th*»— assured one who saw them after they had received sentence and that they are now working out their wicked destinies m Wellington Gaol, is not to be taken that that is. the last of them. Far from it. Though most Of the stolen property has been recovered there was. and still is, valuable jewellery massing, and the subsequent discovery of its hiding-place is problematical. However, some of the unrecovered property has come to li^ht, and how it came to li^ht is quite an interesting story showing, if anything. that the trio within "the nick" are desirous of doing .a good turn to one or more who are temporarily out of it. The burglars, at any rate, one or two of them, when arrested were lodging m a house m Ghuznee-street, and, needless to remark, prosnective lo'decrs now must produce certificates of good character and plainly show that the" are not BOLD BAD MEN. who have not a nice regard for the property or lives of their fellows. Consequently, it was this rich desire to have none but respectable, law-abiding men as lodgers that the other day moved the landlady to cast the sinister glance of suspicion on two individuals, now known to the police, and known none too favorably, who came to 'the front door and wanted a room, which was declined them with thanks. Then came the extraordinary request to be allowed to look at the bathroom, and this request was politely, yet firmly, refused. The cheek of the would-be lodgers, however, did. not daunt them, as they came at it again, and as they showed an -overwhelming curiosity to be allowed to- roam free and unfettered m the bathrooni, the landlady's husband got suspicious, naturally, of course, and communicated the fact of the visit of the curious strangers to Detective Cassells, who, unable to rush away at the moment to investigate, tumbled that something was m the wind, and advised the. landlady's husband to search the bath, as something was probably hidden there. A search was at once instituted, and a little "plant" of stolen jewellcrv was found under the bath. The plant consisted of a silver match-box, a gold pin set with rubies, and a learther-mounted inkstand. These articles form part- of the nroeeeds of the robbery from the Masonic Hotel, so if any doubt ever existed as" to the perpetrntors of that robbery it has been cleared up. Now. it would be really interesting to know if there are any more such "plants" of the stolen goods OF THIS DANGEROUS GANG, now, happily for evervbod^ m their prop_er place. All the proceeds of robberies, the circumstances of which point to the fact that Messrs Hamilton, Ferris, and Sinclair, burglars and would-be assassins, had a high old time m Wellington, have not been recovered, and if they keep on informin" 1 their fellow-prisoners, particularly those whose terms are nearing their end, the possibilities are that the "plants" will be located. The names of the individuals who wanted to view the bathroom are known to the police, and they have been identified as recently-released criminals Presumably, the police will n-ive them attention later on, should attention be needed,' but released prisoners generally get more attention than they often deserve. This pair certainly bungled up things and by so bungling things tney did a good service, which the owner of the property ought to recognise— by keeping his property more secure m future.