REMARKABLE STORY.

Waikato Times, Volume 108, Issue 18169, 6 November 1930, Page 7

REMARKABLE STORY.

BURGLARY AND THEFT. “ SUPER CROOK’S ” OPERATIONS. OFFER TO RETURN JEWELLERY (By Telegraph.—Press Association.) AUCKLAND, Thursday. A remarkable story of a man who burgled a Remuera house, stole jewellery, and then endeavoured to induce the owner to pay him £SO to return them, was told in the Police Court, when Clifford Nelson Double, aged 28, was charged with breaking, entering, and theft of jewellery, worth £4O; also with “corruptly bargaining for a reward in consideration of helping in the recovery of jewellery obtained by theft.” Evidence was given by Mrs Stapley that she received a letter card, whose writer pffered to return the jewellery if slie made it worth his while. She was to reply through the “personal” column of a newspaper. After consulting the police, she replied. She subsequently received several more letters, in one of which the writer offered to send the name and address of the thief and enough evidence to convict him of this and other crimes. He also told her the thief was a “ super crook,” -who was preparing to leave the Dominion with her property; her house was still under observation, and, to save herself trouble she should pay £SO. She ■offered £25, but heard no more. Double pleaded guilty and was committed for sentence.

Valueless Cheques.

He also pleaded guilty, with a young woman named Kathleen Morley, to obtaining £l4 by two valueless •cheques.

The (police said he wrote out the cheques and got Morley to cash them. He was a habitual criminal. A sentence of six months’ imprisonment was imposed. The woman was remanded for a report, the Magistrate saying that she had been under Double’s domination.

It is understood that the police, on being handed the valueless cheques, discovered that the handwriting was the same as that on the anonymous lettercards received by Mrs Stapley;