A SMILING PRETENDER

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 72, Issue 234, 2 October 1929, Page 6

A SMILING PRETENDER

ATTRACTIVE WOMAN THIEF. OPERATIONS IN SYDNEY. Known as “The Smiler’’ because of her disarming smile, an attractive young woman has led the police of many Sydney suburbs a long chase. This young woman was in her early twenties, gracious and well-spoken, expensively dressed, and—according to many of her victims—“most interesting.” She stole hundreds of pounds’ worth of clothing, jewellery and personal effects from the numerous boarding houses where she resided for brief periods. Thefts were committed at Bondi, Coogee, Concord, North Sydney, Chatawood, Newton, Marrickvillo and other suburbs, and the police, although always close behind the young woman, could not catch up with her rapid movements from suburb to suburb. Once or twice they only missed her by less than an hour, but he disappeared, only to reappear, with annoying regularity, at some distant locality. The woman’s methods were most ingenious. She would call at a religious institution, usually a convent, and, after explaining that she was a school teacher on vacation from tho country, would ask to be directed to a refined and comfortable boarding house. Sometimes she varied her method of approach by stating that she was a telephone attendant from a country centre on holidays. Her smile was so attractive that she was given every assistance, and upon being recommended to a boarding house she would make a false but convincing show of gratitude. “How can I thank you,” she would say, and—still smiling—would depart. At the boarding house, being so well recommended by the religious institutions, the new arrival was shown more than usual attention and courtesy, and. once or twice, when she was wandering aimlessly around certain passages, it was believed that this was only due to her confusion at being translated from a small country home to a more populous boarding establishment. Being too shy to ask anyone for di- z rections, this woman would wandei around the corridors trying to find her own room. Her refined timidity served another purpose; it led other boarders to endeavour to entertain her, and she was able to find out when certain rooms would be unoccupied during the day. Tho woman was a favourite whereever she went. She smiled herself into everyone’s confidence But disillusionment always came when she disappeared with some of the valued posses-. •. sions of the other boarders or of th® k< proprietress. In some cases her victim? refused to suspect that there was any connection between her sudden departure and the loss of their property. ... They were convinced that “The " Smiler” had become homesick and had % gone back to the country. The theft, they agreed, was a coincidence, but a coincidence and nothing more. The police subsequently arrested al - beautifully-dressed woman on suspicion.