The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1901-12-04
MANY DARING CRIMINALS
WHO OWN FINE YACHTS.

WHO OWN FINE YACHTS.
1t viii probably be a surprise to n<Gy
TO learn that some of TN nnur,s 81
s"indlers living arr e. be fcaas ~
board some of the lprJly picaaua
yachts around the British coasts. St.i
an ex-Scotland Yard dctcc,lNr Nf.h
special knowledge Of Tho ya, i.tlas
criminal and his methods
a fact which is still more sufpaisn.
and difncult 10 understand l. that nr
or two OF these yachts arc oNnsa O.
chartered by somc of the clevcrcst lnr.
glars and are made the rcceptac.es ..
their plunder
III Is not long since number 81 ~
ms and successful bui slarles oa ihe
south coast We're traced tu tho oWn-gs
ot very smart steam yacht which
was, In fact manned en.liclr by c.!i...-
mats most OF whom had done time
The campaign had been carefully
mapped out beforehand. he houses a.
be "bufgled' hal been sur, eyed 1YI
plans OF them prepared. and, IN fact. as
me papers discok cred later proved no,
single preparation had been OVER
looked 20 make the programme \ sue
ccss. When an MAS ready. fho Yacht
put into convenient harbors for TIE dr.
fercnt marked houses. the burglary was
cleverly committed. the spoil mug
eled on board and when day dswned
the yacht had vanished 10 the next
scene OF operations. Curiously enough.
no suspicion attached 10 the yachtsn,eu
for a long time. and IL MAS only BY ~
accident that they were az last run tp
earth and found D lodging where yacht
ing Is an impossible luxury
OF course YOU must not imagine thot
burglary by yacht is a common profts.
sion, although ! can assure you II is
conducted on a scale that YOU would
scarcely imagine possible This is the
only case ! know of regular pro-
sramme ol burglary being carried out
by seafarns hurglars--the risks OF de-
tection are now TOO great hui, isolated
burg'arics are fairly frequent
some &c these yachts are chartered
by card shsrpers, who llnd Il very
profitable way OF exercising heir craft.
1heil plan Is 10 hire costly aud iuxu-
rious Yacht, moor her olr some fashion
able Watering places pnd put up At one
OF the LEADING hotels. where they li'e IN
regal style, sqnandering money right
and left
When they make the acquaintance 9,
few suitable sulls. usually vcry young
men with more money than brains, they
invite them on board their yacht, enter
tain them regally and fleece them 10
their hearts content over the card
table
As soon as one place Is exhausted or
gets too hot for them they spread tkcir
sail wings ana make for n fresh field OF
operations. where the programme is re-
peated. ! have good reason for know
ing that one such gang OF shnrps clear
cd over s500o0 in . three months cruise
last summcr.
The yacht, TOO. is fayortc refuge
and means Of Hight from justice. and IL
is no exsggeration &c say that scores OF
criminals who are wanted by tho police
! escape on try 10 escape in this way
4 Not very long ago 2 well known embsz-
/ zler who was hourly expecting war
rant TO be issued for his arrest teie-
| graphed TO the skipper of la.ss sreanl
! YACHT lying in south coast harbor IN
I the name of its Owner ordering him to
! get up steam TO take a friend of his. "A
! Colonel A.. for a cruise.
The innocent skipper dill as be was
instructed. Colonel \. came on board
TWO OF three hours later and was duly
landed az Spanish port II was only
on his return TO England that rhe skip.
per discovered that this telegram was
forgery and that nc had unwittingly
helped notorious criminal 10 escape
from the clutches of the law.