INTERNATIONAL THEFTS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18850, 1 May 1923, Page 7

INTERNATIONAL THEFTS

STATEMENT BY WARREN. ALLEGATIONS DENIED. e Press Association—By Telegraph—Copyright PARIS, April 29. William Warren (who, together with his wife and another woman, has been detained in connection with the theft of 800,000 francs in London last year) denies that he served sentences in Australia, or that lie was the leader of a band of international crooks. Ho declares that the arrest humiliated his wife, who related to persons in high positions in England. He alleges 'that she is the divorced wife of a former Cabinet Minister in a large British dominion, and that her three brothers are magistrates in London, Canada, abd Egypt.—A. and N.Z. Cable.

TWO FURTHER ARRESTS

A DRAMATIC CAPTURE,

THE EVIDENCE AGAINST WARREN

PARIS, April 50. (Received April 30, at 7.35 p.m.) Charles Edward Holloway, an American, and brands O’Brien, an Australian, who were arrested, are supposed to be members of the international gang. The arrests followed complaints by Mr Louis Rubin, an American banker, who was victimised on Thursday at Brussels to the extent of £2OOO by a confidence trick. Mr Rubin canife to Baris with a detective, where he recognised a portrait of O’Brien as the man who had robbed him. The police went to an hotel in the Rue de Rivoli, where they learned that O’Brien had gone to Cherbourg to join the Mauretania, but they arrested Holloway, an alleged accomplice. O’Brien’s description Was telegraphed to Cherbourg, but during the train journey he changed everything he wore, including his socks and goldrimmed spectacles. His appearance was so altered that two Americans, who were travelling in the same compartment were arrested. The error was discovered before the Mauretania sailed, and O’Brien was arrested as he was boarding the boat, He vigorously protested that he w r as an English citizen, but the nolice searched his luggage, and found £2500 in English, French, and Belgian money hidden in a shirt in his travelling bag. Holloway has been identified as one of three men who tried to swindle an American shoe merchant in September. He was captured after a struggle, in which a detective shot Holloway, who was sent to a hospital. He was later released on condition that ho left the country. . - Senor Santos, |a Spanish business man, on Saturday gave evidence that Warren had swindled him of £1650.

M. Monrecon, a Frenchman, in evidence. said that Warren had cheated him of £4000.-—A. and N.Z. Cable.

Police Commissioner Wright told an Evening Post reporter on Saturday morning that the New Zealand police do not “ want ” William Warren, whose arrest on the outskirts of Paris has caused somewhat of a sensation. There are no local charges to be preferred against him. Cablegrams ’received last week indicated that ho was well known to the police of the world, and that other charges were arriving from New Zealand among other blue® 3 - ,