STOLE THE BELL.

Star (Christchurch), Volume LXIV, Issue 956, 28 December 1933, Page 1

STOLE THE BELL.

Mysterious German Had Melbourne Job. (Special to the *‘ Star.”) MELBOURNE. December 20. Paul Kaolmel, the German, who was sentenced in Sydney to six months’ gaol for having stolen the Emden bell from the War Museum, is well remembered by those with whom he worked on the Shrine in Melbourne. They recalled to-day the circumstances of his Siidden and mysterious disappearance from the gang, and were not at all surprised to learn that he had play’ed a part in an audacious theft. And it is their belief, also, that the reason why Kaolmel was not arrested in Melbourne was because he was given : timely warning by’ a woman that dej tectives were on his track, j It was towards the end of October • that Kaolmel, who was then working under the name of W. C. Watts, was I approached by a woman, and after a ; hurried conversation both disappeared. Kaolmel was never seen again in this city. Bird Had Flown. An hour or so later three men who said they were in the service of the Commonwealth inquired at the Shrine for a man named Watts, and their faces betrayed the bitterest disappointment when told that he had that day’ suddenly left the job. “ We have just liten to his home.” said one, “ and were told that he was ! at Bendigo.” But there are other reasons why i Kaolmel was singled out among the • men working at the Shrine. In the first place, he had the un- | enviable reputation of being the ! “ laziest loafer ” on the job, and more • than once he was threatened with dis- ; missal. I The men say that he would have been literally kicked off the job on one occasion had he not wept piteously and said that he had a wife to keep and had been a gentleman and was not used to hard manual toil. On another occasion, when told that he would finish up if he did not get a move on, he made a pathetic appeal in broken English for special consideration. and displayed his soft, white hands. Why don’t they give me something else to do?” he tearfully protest- ] ed. “ This is not reproductive work.” j Kaolmel was described fby fellowI workers a? a fine athletic type, with ! the bearing and manner of a gentle- ' man. He was always well groomed j when he arrived at the Shrine, and it ; was a matter of comment for a time j that a man who was supposed to be i destitute should have such good clothes. His underclothing was of the very j best, and he always washed and j changed before departing for his i I home. ! “ When I look back.” said a Shrine ; worker to-day, “ I think what a good i | actor that fellow must have been. He could put up a great tale, and when he cried, it was no wonder the boss hadn’t the heart to sack him.”