Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-12-05
BURGLARS WITH EDUCATION.
One Who Played Handel, Another Who
Read Moliere.
From Tit-Bits.

ioH Il-1lls
One can understand that, here and there.
there may exist a burglar who, when he
has done his burgling, loves to lie a-bask-
ing IN the sum-" but it is quite q shock to
ones preconceived ideas to hear of burg
lars who have a passion for music and
art, or who beguile their leasure by read
ing Horace and Xenophon,
only a rev weeks ago the tenant of
VIVA IN the outskirts of Hamburg was
reused from his SAUNDERS by strains of
exquisite music which proceeded from an
adjoining sitting room Going to the door
OF the room, We learn. she saw ragged
dlsreputable man seated at the piano and
playing Handeis Messiah with remark
able skill. Other pieces followed all played
with a mastery and feeling which held
the unseen auditor spellbound until sud
denly the man broke off with shrill dis
cord, and, throwing himself across TIE
piano, burst into bitter tears"
r When the owner entered the room the
musician started UP in alarm and attempt
ed to escape. Finding this impossible he
confessed that he had entered the house
with felonious intent. but. seeing the piano,
on which he, was in happier days a profess
sional performer he could not resist the
temptation of reviving old memories I'M
til his feelings had finally overcome him.
IN another recent case a resident in the
Rue Montmartre, Paris was startled In the
early hours of the morning to hear sounds
OF laughter apparently proceeding from the
IooHl beneath him. winch was his library.
Stealing quietly downstairs and peeping
through the partly open door, he was
amazed to see a strange man comfortably
seated in an armchair, book in hand, and
chuckling audibly as he read
So absorbed was the reader that before
he had any suspicion that he was being
watched, he found himself seized from be-
hind by a pair of strong arms, and finding
resistance useless he capitulated. He con-
fessed to his captor that he was an actor
who had fallen on evil days. and had en-
tered his house with burglarious intent
when he CHANGED to see copy of Moliere's
plays on the library table. He had begun
to read Les Fourberies de Scapin," a COM
edy in which he once played with con-
siderable success. and had become SO en-
crossed that he had completely lost him
self until he was rudely awakened by find
ing that he was a prisoner.
1t is not many months since love Of
classics proved a check In the career of
a burglar in the west end of London. The
owner of a fiat near Piccadilly, returning
home after midnight, was astonished to see
a man placidly occupying his favorite seat
and reading one of his books. When he
startled intruder, seeing that he was
caught, frankly confessed that he had
come to steal but had remained to read"
and he handed to his captor the volume
Horace's Works--which he had found so Sc
ducttve
And, as evidence that a burglar may be
man Of charity, we recall how Punch
cesSful of housebreakerS, not only found
ed and maintained a private infirmary in
which old and infirm Norfolk villagers
We're made happy, but also gave away sew
eral hundreds of pounds a year to his poor
neighbors.