A BURGLAR’S CONFESSIONS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21148, 4 October 1930, Page 4

A BURGLAR’S CONFESSIONS.

TT„.f HeU ', J Kttoh S l -. The stor y °' London's Underworld as Belated by the Notorious exBurglar, George Ingram, to De Witt MacKenrie. London: Herbert JenMns. (Ta 6d net.) ' Hell's Kitchen" is a quite engaging document, the authenticity of which is satisfactorily proven by the description of robberies in which the names of prominent persons and places are chronicled. The burglar who "confesses" is one whose pen-name, or jemmy-name might be more accurate, is George Ingram, and who is, Mr De Witt MacKenzie states, the most-interesting "bad man" he has met. He is now "going straight," it appears, and turned to writing his exploits as a suitable■ means of turning an honest penny. At thirty-six, his health undermined by a record-breaking prison hunger-strike of thirty months, during which h e was forcibly fed 2000 times, he 1 is repentant and not a little proud of his past adventures in crime. "I certainly knew that burglary was wrong," he writes, discussing nis early years, " but I also knew that I might not get so much excitement in any other calling. Had England been at war with another country at that moment I undoubtedly should have gone to th e Jj'ront. Had I been possessed of riches, I probably should have journeyed into the wilds to shoot big game. I hankered after adventure. In the absence of legitimate opportunities. I went in for robbing." In recounting his impressions of the London underworld, George Ingram is not as interesting as in the later chapters of this book, when he tells of his own exploits. He was essentially a " gentleman " cracksman, and did not associate with criminals to any extent, except with his partner, whom he calls " the Other Their particular specialty was the theft of valuable pictures, and among their greatest coups was that of two Gairisboroughs from Benham Park in 1923. He has a quiet appreciation of art, and was delighted with these pictures, apart from the money he hoped to make from their sale; but before they could be disposed of the OLD. had intervened. This theft, and many others related, really seem very simple. But one must admire the nerve of George Ingram and Mb companion. When they were on the way to visit Lord Lansdowne in their professional capacity their motor I cycle broke down in a country road. Not only was a constable whom they met very affable, but he mended a punctured tyre for them!

Regarding watch dogs, George Ingram is not reassuring. ,Dogs like human companionship, he found, and any amount of training will not overcome this characteristic. When a doe is left to roam about a house at night he will welcome any man who happens along. He cites as an instance of the uselessness of watch dogs the burglary at Lord Berwick’s home, Attingman Park, Shrewsbury. Inside the house were two big boar bounds, animals which are popularly supposed to be so fierce as to endanger the life of any burglar they encounter. “What actually happened was that the Other Bird not only got into the house, but turned the place over and then got away without the slightest difficulty,” he states. “The seemingly amazing part of this business was that as soon as he entered the house one of these giant dogs came up to him and made overtures of friendship. A little later the other dog came down the main staircase and joined, the peace party All the time the Other Bird was prowling about the house the dogs followed and sniffed interestedly as he lifted first one valuable then*, another. When he had completed hig.job and was ready to leave the house the dogs tried to go with him.” A.L.F.