"THE LADY BURGLAR."

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 14048, 19 July 1916, Page 5

"THE LADY BURGLAR."

'■,-?' CAUGHT AT MIDNIGHT. . *Aa a climax to ai series of thefts winch have been taking place 'm Auckland recently among boardinghouses at • the lower, end of iSymonds street and ; other places, a woman named Jessie j Jacobs (37) was caught after midnigHt- .;' redha^ided^ m the act of entering Brae- j mar boar_iighouse m Eden street. I Plain-clothes Constable Trotter and a r companion, m consequence of complaints of, those thefts, were on the watch at.night, and about half-an-hour after midnight they noticed some person . stealthily making way over a waterpipe running along the wall of Brae may House. This acrobatic feat was rendered possible as there was a space of only about 3ft between the wall of Brasmar House and the wall of the next-door boardinghouse. Tho apparent burglar worked along the pipe to the roof of the verandah of Braemar House, opened -an upstairs window, and disappeared. Constable Trotter then came 'from hiding, and also climbed on the verandah, and through the , window.' when ho got inside he found the accused woman m the kitchen. She "had lit a candle, stuck it m the sugar bowl, and had a cloth 'spread on the table, apparently m which to place any possible loot. At first the woman seemingly took the plains-clothesman for a fellow: craftsman. for' *;h-"j cautioned hinr against making a noise and awaking the household, but was very much: surprised. \ when informed -.that . he- -\yaii a* .'policeman, and tiiat she was under ar- , rest. The woman at the time had no boots on. / Next morn ing- the woman was. ■brought •l^fpre Mr F. V. Fraser; S.M., on; '-.a charge, of breaking and entering 'with intent !to commit a crime,- and she w^s remanded for a week, .Sub-Inspec-tor Mcllveney remarking that it was \ .probable that a number oi" other charges would probably bo preferred against the accused.