The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-08-23

tate agents declare that the operations had been executed on such a grand scale as to cause general depreciation In the value of suburban dwellings.
 The police have now ascertained that this wholesale burglary had been accomp- lished, not by a band of robbers, aE everybody had supposed, but by one man Laurent Etienne Delarue. who is only | 27 years old ,and who began his life oi crime when a mere boy of 1b. Delarut confesses that he has committed 4,OO' | burglaries, and the police authorities state that this Is no exaggeration. This is at the rate of one housebreaking fol each working day of the year. Singular ly enough, the King of Burglars" is to all outward appearances q model Of re- spectabiIity. He Is married to an at ! tractive young woman of good family and is the father of two children, whose education he supervises with keen pa ternal interest. His little cottage al Sartrouville is neat and picturesque, and is surrounded by a well-kept vegetable garden, and there is a lawn tennis court on the grounds, where he plays tennis with his wife, both being experts at the game. which he declares to be the "best sport in the world to discipline the eye and keep the muscles 1.-the and supple. Laurent Delarue is also a great cyclist, and on his free-wheel chainless bicycle of American make he covered incredible stretches of country, for 1t was his in- variable custom never to commit two burglaries within ten miles of each other. Tc appreciate the extent of his operations 1t should be noted that at the moment Of his arrest the value of the gold coin, bank notes and jewelry found in his cot tage was estimated at $5,OOO.
 Through the courtesy of the authorities at Versailles, where the sensational trial will soon take place, | was enabled to see this remarkable criminal and to obtain a brief conversation with him.
 Laurent Delarue, who breaks the worlds record as a burglar. Is man of slight but graceful build and of scholar iy appearance. He might readily be talk en for an art student. He Is fond Of sketching, and carries with him on his bicycle a notebook, an easel and box or colors. Adroitly concealed in his box of colors. however, are a complete set of burglars tools, skeleton keys and the largest implements of the cracksman' S calling. He is a handsome fellow, with dark hazel Rembrandt eyes. HIS curly raven locks are suggestive of those to De seen in the portraits of Lord Byron. Ills tapering nervous fingers might wen oe those of some eminent pianist. An Idea of this strange mans quaint picturesque character may be formed from the 1oI' lowing random conversation:
 You earned a living honestly when
 hoy of 15 by your work in an iron foun, dry Why was it that you abandoned such a promising calling to become
 burglar?" ..o
 "Oh the work in the foundry was too regular. i felt an irresistible craving to be a tramp-to wander about In the fields and to be my own master. read books about tramps and celebrated criminals which I obtained at the public libraries,
 [ once saw at the theatre performance
 ,s,rbe TrampsO. It was this play that in- Snced me to become a burglar"
 .How did 1t come about that you coin-
 mitted your first burglary: Al.
 1T was returning from work at me foundry one Sertember evening: It was dark. and l noticed that the windo" oi