MODERN FAGIN

Taranaki Daily News, 21 January 1935, Page 11

MODERN FAGIN

TEACHER OF HOUSEBREAKING. BOY ARRESTED IN ATTEMPT. Allegations that a man who was believed to be a master burglar had set out to train a boy of 16 in housebreaking; had incited him to break into a house—where he was arrested—while he himself was in custody; and had actually instructed him from the prison, where he told , the boy to visit him, were made at West London Police Court recently when Robert Delaney, aged 39, described as an engineer, of Shaftesbury Avenue, W., appeared on remand on a charge of breaking into a flat at the Royal Palace Hotel, Kensington, V/., on October 3 and stealing jewellery worth £llOO belonging to Mrs. M. Gluckstein. A further charge was preferred against Delaney at the hearing of inciting a youth to break into a house at Kensington Palace Gardens on October 27. .The prosecuting: counsel, Mr. C. ,M.

Melville, said that since Delaney’s arrest it had come to the knowledge of the police that he had got hold of a boy of -16 and had set out to train him as a burglar. He had taken this boy round to various houses and had in- • structed him how to break in. It was the boy who had climbed to the fifthfloor flat at the Royal Palace Hotel and stolen the jewellery. The magistrate: It has been stated that the prisoner described it as a “tough climb,” so he was not correct. Mr. Melville: No,' sir. It was the boy who climbed up. Mr. Melville said that after Delaney’s arrest the boy > visited him in prison on four different occasions. On October 27 Delaney told the boy ; that he wanted some money, and told him to go to the house at Kensington Palace Gardens which he had previously pointed out to him, and directed him how to enter the place. He said to the boy that there was i plenty, of stuff there, and he was to take it home and hide it. He was to come , to the prison again and see him, and he would then tell him what to do with 1 the stuff. ; The boy was arrested in the house at , Kensington Palace Gardens, and was ■ brought before the magistrate at the . juvenile court. Delaney was again remanded for a ; week. [. Olive Delaney, his wife, who was . charged with receiving some of the stolen jewellery, was also remanded; bail , in £5O being allowed.