GANG OF THIEVES.

Taranaki Daily News, 1 May 1923, Page 5

GANG OF THIEVES.

TWO ARRESTS MADE. CONFIDENCE TRICK WORKED. AMERICAN’S HEAVY LOSS. 5 By Telegraph.—Press Assn.—Copyright. Received April 30, 7.35 p.m. Paris, April 30. Charles Edward Holloway, an American, and Francis O’Brien, an Australian, have been arrested. They are supposed to be members of an 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 came to Paris with a detective, where he recognised a portrait of O’Brien as the man who robbed him. The police went to a hotel in the Rue de Rivoli and 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. During the train journey, however, O’Brien changed everything he wore, including his socks and ’gold-rimmed spectacles, and his appearance was so altered that two Americans, who were travelling in the same compartment were arrested. The error was found before the Mauretania sailed, and O’Brien was arrested as he was boarding the boat. He vigorously protested that he was an Hnglish citizen, but the police searched his luggage and found £2500 in English, French and Belgian money, hidden in a shirt in u Brien’s travelling-bag. Holloway was 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. He was sent to hospital, but he was realcosed on condition that he left the country. Seuor Santos, a Spanish business man, on Saturday gave evidence that Warren (who is detained on charges of theft) swindled -him of £l«30- M. Morrecon, a Frenchman, in evidence, said \V arren cheated him of £4,000.