MASKED THIEVES.

Star (Christchurch), Volume LXVI, Issue 20538, 13 February 1935, Page 5

MASKED THIEVES.

Models of “ Raffles ” Pay Visit to Paris. BUSINESS MAN HELD UP. PARIS, January 6. The Paris police are searching for two masked thieves who in their dress and manners have modelled themselves upon the celebrated “ Raffles.” On Christmas night, armed with revolvers, they stationed themselves in the home of M. Bernard Paderberg, a wealthy Dutch business man, at St Cloud, a Paris suburb. “ Hands up! ” they ordered as he entered. “ Show us where you keep your money.” M. Paderberg said he had only 400 francs. “ You are one of those who trust bankers,” they su lively replied. “ Let us see your pocket-book.” They extracted a thousand-franc note and asked for string. “We are sorry you will have to miss your Christmas dinner engagement,” they said, “ but we must truss you up. Would you prefer to lie on your bed?” With the prospect of a very lonely Christmas before him, M. Paderberg readily agreed that he would prefer to spend it as comfortably as the circumstances. permitted. “ I have a weak heart,” he said. “ May I lie on my right side?” The thieves agreed. They took considerable care in tying him up. Their last words were: “May we leave you like that?” Then they packed one of their victim’s trunks with valuable objects of art, took his fur coat and departed. Two hours later M. Paderberg was released by his maid.