AN OSTRICH-LIKE BURGLAR.

Wanganui Herald, Volume XXXIX, Issue 11646, 25 August 1905, Page 2

AN OSTRICH-LIKE BURGLAR.

Burglars who are at the same time lunatics are rare, otherwise the operations of justice would -be considerably facilitated. But Arthur Reinhardt, of Madgeburg, combines burglary . with., eccentricity so harmoniously that he seldom escapes the claws of justice for more than an hour after th© commission of his crime. He 'recently fell "into the hands of %he police- for about the thirtieth time. It seems the residence of a local doctor was entered through the window, and. a large quantity of valuable jewellery abstracted. The police were immediately summoned. Running up to the house, they came upon a frightened-looking man, who, on. seeing them, at' once rushed to the street refuse bin, and with a scream of terror thrust his head into its unsavoury contents. The police, thinldnof ■ *the man's strange, conduct was due to his having seen the burglar secreting the jewels in the refusebin, ran up. But finding the stranger's head completely immersed in the garbage, they took him. for an. escaped lunatic, and sent one of their ..number with him to tlio station. There he ' was searched, and, 'much to the amazement of the sergeant in charge, his pockets disgorged a pearl necklace, a watch; and several rings and bracelets.

Inquiries in Berlin disclosed the fact that Reinhafdt was well known there as a clever , executor of burglaries, whose escape from justice was inTaiiably marred by Ms ostrich-like delusion that . by con. cealing his head he made himself invisible to his pursuers. On one occasion he brqke open a safe which would haye defied nine burglars out of ten, yet tamely surrendered to the police a few moments4ates, with his liead concealed in a pillow-case" belonging to^the householder. The medical authorities refuse to certify Reirinardt insane on the ground that such, a clever criminal could not be a lunatic.