The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1900-05-28
RACED BY PERFUMES.
Curious Instances of Criminals Who
Were Actually Scented" Out.

SO infinitesimally slight are some of
the clues that have led to the arrest
and ultimate conviction of notabl
criminals that one may not be surpris,
ed to learn that by the distinguishing
and ineffaceable odor of certain per-
fumes and scents murderers and
thieves have ere now been brought to
book for their instantaneous.
Probably the queerest case in lis
connection is that of notorious sdr-
glar who was arrested in Paris few
months back solely because he Lad
partiality for eucalyptus. The facts
are these: An elderly lady awok. one
night to find that the jewel box at the
side OF her bed was in the act OF being
robbed by a burly and closely masked
man. The lady had the self-c- ntrol to
feign sleep and make a menf Al note of
the fact that there was one distinguish
ing feature of the marauaer This was
the strong odOr of eucalyptus that per-
vadsd his garments.
AS soon as he had effected his de-
parture the woman rose and summon
ed a policeman to her assistance by
calling loudly from her bed room win
dow. However, her efforts were in
vain, for on the arrival of the police it
was found that the burglar hau disap-
peared with the lady's jewels Nor
was the man captured for a considera-
Bile period. Then, one afternoon, there
called at the office of Hebrew pawn
broker in small way of business a
gentlemanly looking man who was de-
slrous OF pledging few articles Of
jewelry.
Now, the broker had been supplied
| with list of the articles stolen on the
occasion, and at once saw that the
trinkets the present customer was in
tending to pledge were none of those
that had been taken from the lady's
: jewel box. But he had read the story
! OF the burglary and recalled the re-
marks Of the lady anent the odor per-
vading the thief's clothes.
| Now, this mans garment also SMELL
ed of the fragrant oil. One would hard
ly have considered this similarity such
as to warrant the apprehension of the
pledger, but pawnbrokers are ven
| turesome set of men, and the one re-
ferred to called a policeman and gave
! the customer in charge. Nor did he
err in so doing, for the man proved to
be a notorious burglar, and indeed the
thief of the gems. The articles he
was on the point Of pledging were the
result Of another burglary, and the
would have continuously evaded cap
ture but for the fact that, being
strangely frightened by the universal
/ pldemic-infiuenza-h had resorted
to liberal use of eucalyptus oil.
An even odder case in point Is one
which halls from India A merchant
returning to his home from Calcutta
took with him small flask of spike
nard, a costly perfume used in Hindu
religious rites. The unfortunate fell
low never reached his home, for on the
way thlther he was attacked by a gIng
OF prisoners, who killed him, and after
throwing his body into a river carried
on his goods, including the flask of
scent. Months afterwards the GRIMM
ais, who had come under suspicion for
other crimes, received an informal visit
from the police, when the strong odor
OF the costly scent was detected in.
their abode, the half empty flask being
eventually unearthed beneath a stack
of fuel in one of the rooms of the
house. The discovery led to the exc
cution OF three members Of the gang.