The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1905-11-10
IMITATION In CRIME
CRIMINALS FOLLOW ONE ANOTHER
IN THEIR METHODS.
ons Peculiar s~isdie or Robbery IL
surs to Heset Hs Counterpart by
Another GanH of crook.-Picture
stealing aud BODY saatchias.

The Initiative faculty OF criminals Il
well recognized by all engaged In thciI
detection, says the London Answers
One sensational crime makes Scotland
Yard watchful for others In which
some Of lis peculiar features will be
copied.
Que Of the most remarkable series Of
Initiative crimes In modern times o..
currcd at Windsor. While the Coun,
aud Countess OF Marela were one Feb,
ruary evening at dinner Ia their man,
sion near Virginia Water some thieves
asccnded by means Of n rope ladder 10
window In tho countess dressing
room. entered the room and. having
collected rich booty OF rings. watch
90. brooches. necklaces and other trim
kcts worth some thousands OF pounds.
disappeared with them.
For considerable time past there
had been none of these dinner hour
robbcrics. Now the feat Of these
thieves was 10 make them common,
Strangely enough. their lmitators even
selected the same neighborhsod. With.
On few weeks. while the Belgian am.
bassador. NJ. van de Wryer. and his
wife were dining in their residence at
New Lodge thieves made clean
sweep OF madam's jcwelry In precisely
the same fashion. Tho next gang Of
imitators we're not NO lucky. Through
a mistake In the dining hour Of
Lord Peterborough they timed their
visit TO his lordships house too early
In the evening. Instead Of being ut
dinner hls lorishlp had gone for a
drive. from which he returned later
tbnn had been expected. On going up.
stairs 10 his dressing room he found
the door locked. When II was broken
open the thcves'had vanished. but his
jewclry. scattered on the bed ready for
packing up. was still there. Similar
ne these robbcries were they were tho
work Of different criminals. NIL imitat.
eng the frat. They soon had imitators
all over the country.
Gainsborough's great picture. The
Duchess Of Devonsbire." was stolen
one night from Messrs. Agnew's gal.
isry In old Bond street by thieves who
cut the picture from its frame. rolled
II up and carried II OF. There had
been no robbery OF the kind since
1850, when burglars visited the picture
gallery In the Earl OF suffolk's resi-.
dence and cut out and decamped with
several pictures. OF which they tried
In vain TO dispose. In disgust they nj
last abandoned the treasures. worth
some thousands OF pounds. hiding them
under one OF the two arches OF Black.
friars bridge, where they were found.
The perpetrators Of the 0ainsborough
theft were equally unfortunate In
their attempts 20 make money by their
crime still. they had their imitatou.
The very next year thieves made an
entry during the night Into woodvills
Lodge. Clayton. Sussex. and cut from
their frames and decamped with pic
lures valued at from 10000 10 fib,.
O00
In December OF 1874 q quick wittsd
daring thief who CHANGED to be at Pad.
dington station took advantage Of the
bustie on the platform attending the
arrival Of the Prince Of Wales 10 lay
hands upon the Jewel case Of the
Countess Of Dudley. which contained
gems valued at 10000. Ths jewel
case was In the custody Of two female
servants. who reached the station In Q
cab. The nrst alighting from the cab.
put the case down on the pavement
and turned around 20 assist her com.
panlon out Of the vehicle. When she
looked for the case again u was gone.
SEEKING upon the arrival or departure
Of royalty as an opportunity for theft
Immediately sprang Into fashion among
thieves. The very next month at the
Nsame station as the Duke OF Edinburgh
was passing through II thieves found
an opportunity to rob On attendant Of
the Russian ambassador. Baron Blu.
low. Of bis dressing case. containing
Jewels worth some thousands OF
pounds. II
The fact that the man he chose as his
example was rewarded with ten years
penal scrvitude did not deter Tarpsy.
the jewel thief, from resolving TO iml.
tate his plan The first thief ordered
several thousand pounds worth Of Jew.
elry from London shop. had the pre-
clous trlnkets brought TO his house.
chloroformed the unlucky bearer and
disappeared with his booty. Tarpsy
proceeded on the same lines With his
wife he took house In the west end
and then. proceeding to a jewelers.. re-
quested him 10 send selection Of dla-
monds and emeralds for his wifes con.
sideration. The unfortunate jewelers.
man when be was shown into the Tarp.
~ drawing room was seized, chloro-
formed. bound and gagged, while Tarp-
~ and his wife decamped with their
precious burden. So far the plan had
succeeded, but Tarpsy commenced TO
fall as soon as be began to be original.
He and his wife having stolen away
TO Leamlngton, Tarpsy excited the sus.
piclons OF the landlady with whom
they lodged by the peculiar changes he
effected In bis appearance.
So acute did her suspicious at last