The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-10-27
AUDACTOUS BURGLAR NABBED
TOOK A WHOLE TOWN BY POSING
As A CAPTAIN.

Sent Mayor Away Under Guard M Looted
Public Safe Turned Out to Ne a Mis-
erabIe Looking Shoemaker VINO Had
Been q JaiIbIrd Laugh on OnlciaIs.
Special cGols Despatch to TEE SUN.
BERLIN, Oct. 2o.-The audacious robber
who a week ago. in the guise Of an army
officer. arrested the Mayor of K~oepeniok
for alleged m~alfeasance in office, sent him
under military escort to Berlin and then
cleaned out the town safe was arrested
this morning. He is a shoemaker named
Voight Of Tilsit. He has served long terms
Of imprisonment for various offences.
His latest was a term of fifteen years for
robbery with violence. He Wa released
from prison last February.
voight's identity was established by
means Of a photograph the police got pos
session of. showing him with a beard but
in the same clothes he wore when he bought
Of a dealer in old clothes the military uni
form in which he carried out his sour at
KoepeniCk.
The Berlin police, on learning that Weight
lived with a married sister in Kofstrasse,
Rixd0Sf, a suburb Of Berlin, set detectives
in plain clothes to watch the house. They
euUeTeu IL al o o OlOCh JuuS "OthihS' oAN
then ascertained that Weight was not there
and had not been there for two weeks.
But they learned from the sister that he
was living as a lodger with couple OF news
paper sellers in Langesstrasse, 40 they
fastened in a motor cab to that address.
Arrived there they occupied all the en-
frances and staircases and the roof. Then
four detectives entered the news renders
lodging and found Weight eating his break
fast. Although he was surpr ised to see
the police he asked that he he allowed to
finish his meal. He frankly admitted, with
a touch Of pride. that he was the man who
had arrested and robbed the Koepenik
officials. The Mayor and accountant Of
Koepenik confronted Weight in the police
station.
The case has raised a shout OF Homeric
laughter throughout Europe. By his
naughty mein, imperious manner and
martial bearing Voight imposed upon both
soldiers and municipal authorities, enabling
him TO bring OF what must be reckoned a
colossal practical joke. Weight may have
been actuated by a desire for mere robbery
but his beautiful work has made him his
toric. 1t is now known that he belongs to
that deep thinking, philosophic class OF
men who devote themselves To s~hoemSking'
Before Herr Noight cracked his great
Joke on the German authorities he had
spent tw enJy-seven years in penal ser
vinide. These long years gave him full
time to think over his great coup, which
should lift him ont Of the Obscurity of a
chronic jailbird into the white light OF
world wide fame. He has done it. hut how
a jailbird cobbler. with squat nose, sunken
eyes, face betraying few signs of acquaint-
ance with soap and water, with horny
hands, spatulate fingers and broken nails.
a criminal type that would delight the
heart of Prof. Lombroso, could have sue
ceeded in taking in "A whole town by posing
a. a Captain in a crack guards regiment
is a question that is being put on all sides.
The National XcItWnG APPLY remarks thas
il is a good thing that the burgomaster
of Koepenick has already in his pocket
his vote Of confidence.
The details OF Voight's examination fur
nIsh a further chapter in the reliShtful
comedy. The police officials, d' ;ectivcs
and gendarmes burst into laughter when
the miserable looking old man, with a
weatherbeaten, begrimed face, was brought
up for examination. Weight appeared de-
pressed, but his spirits revived uirdcr the
influence Of half "A bottle Of port thought
fully set before him by the courteous police
president. Over the wine the old man
waXed eloquent.
He declared hat he had been forced into
crime by being unable TO get work. He was
indignant al tn statements of eye Witnesses
that he had finely shaped hands and that
two Of his eeth were missing. He said
that DR.. I~angerhans, the Mayor OF koepen-
ick, was not TO blame for submitting, az
he did not intend 10 How any discussion
and was prepared to order the soldiers to
Use their weapons if ne essary. One de-
tective asked Voight whether he did not
think, in view Of his ge, that he ought To
have i~mpersonated a Major rather than a
Captain. The prisoner replied:
Il thought of that, but il | had gone as a
Major | should have had to have a Lieuten-
ant with me, and a Lieutenant of the guards,
you must admit, would hardly have joined
me in my escapade.'
Voight declared that he did not doubt that
it would ne very easy to bring of a big coup
with the aid of the military. He knew hs
could do anything if he we're provided with
a uniform and supported by military power,
even with people quite different from the
Ourgomaster. Koepenick is naturally de-
ligr ed at the news that the culprit has been
captured and there is talk of decorating
and illuminating the town.
Weight was photographed in his Captains
uniform this morning.