The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1917-05-17
WAR TIME CROOKS INVEST PARIS; WOMEN BELONG TO ROBBER BANDS
 THAT RIFLE HIGH CLASS HOTELS

went to bed, taking pains to put her purse containing $20o in among the gold bottles in the toilet case: She was awakened by what seemed to be heavy breathing, but on turning on the light to examine the room found everything in it's place and decided that overwrought nerves had excited her imagination. Not long after that she fell into deep sleep. Hours later she felt herself shiver from an ely draught. What was her herrer on awakening to find the door she had locked and beIted standing wide open.
 Miss x ran to the dressing room and found that her money and the gold tops of the bottles had been sto- len. She rang bells, called ,and soon the servants were on the spet-aH but one, the valet de chambre who had come In to replenish the fire, draw the curtains, &c. He was nowhere to be found and had not been in his room all night. Search was made for some trace and under Miss Ks bed was found 8 dagger belonging to the sel- dier on furlough. He had watched his chance, and when the American went into the dressing room he had CI0pt HI uHQOE IltI OSu AIAS AoA tough was up the end of the week, when he returned to the trenches af- ter having dissipated the money, for not sou was found on him. Need-l less to add, however, the poi1u will pay for his crime. +'.t
 Hotels near the big railway stations have all been complaining of losses of money, affirming that their rooms have been robbed during the night. About every six weeks thieves seem ed to visit certain places and take money from purses or pockets. One hotel, built over an important sta tion, hired detective to catch the thieves. The time for the periodical visitation was near, and one evening the clerk made a sign to the officer in the lobby to get busy. A small, shabby, ordinary-looking individual about 65 years old stood at the desk asking for a room. The clerk remem- bered his face, and since the last theft had borne him in mind.
 The man. was shown to his room about 10 o'clock. The detective se- cured a room near, then mounted a chair to watch through the transom. Other people came in for the night, and it was near o'clock before the hall grew quiet. A tiny light was left burning in the passage, and the de- tective saw his, subject creep out of his room, put key into the lock of a neighbor's door. then softly enter. Knowing. his turn would soon come, the detective jumped into bed. Soon afterward 8 light flashed in the room, then all was black. The thief went | through the clothes on the table with lr- Atn r1I1 tr~ cluding some marked five franc pieces. In the morning the guests all com pIained that their rooms had been robbed during the night, and when the thief came from his room he was arrested A large sum was found on
 him, including the five franc decoy
 pieces The man hadSbeent operating nightly since the Beginning of the | war His wife, who seemed to be a respectable woman, had been fooled | into believing that her husband was night watchman.
 Occupants of villas or apartment
 houses used to think that a white beard or an age stopped shoulder was l a badge of respect and confidence, but | such ideas no longer prevail because 1 of recent disclosures. Four elderly men who had come with reliable rec
 ommendations to an electric estab-
 1ishment were sent in good faith by the manager into a house to repair
 the elevator. The shop is a good one
 and before the war had only capable
 and trustworthy employees. The best part of two days passed with no re-
 suits to the elevator.
 | Of the several workmen the con- cierge noticed that one stayed in the hall, doing nothing but apparently on
 guard. If the concierge or a servant
 wished to enter the basement he was
 halted with: My comrades are .ex- perimenting with electricity fore the
 elevators; if you go down it will be at
 your peri1.' te 1 Instead of working the men had
 robbing the cellars of wine which they
 were tasting in copious draughts, and
 in the meantime searching for val
 uables in other parts of the house. l N V Sun