The Kenilworth Advertiser. — 1873-03-13 (Kenilworth, Warwickshire, England)

CHINESE JACK SHSPPARD.  Apoo Aboo has been at his old tricks again (says a Bombay paper received by the last mail). But do our readers remember who Apoo Aboo is? Some six months ago, a night scarcely passed away without a house or two being broken into in Love-lane and other regions in Byculla. Boxes, money, watches, jewels, were taken, even from under the nose of sleeping owners. The policeset spies at work ,• yet the robberies went on as before • nobody could tell who the housebreaker was. At last success crowned watchfulness; the robber was captured, and secured in Oomercarry Chowkey. This was Apoo Aboo—a Chinaman who had comndtted murder in Singapore, who had been liberated by a generous government, who had found his way to Bombay, as many other objectionable gentlemen do, and who was now endeavouring toimake a living. The police were proud of the capture, because he was one of the best housebreakers that had ever performed in this city. But suddenly there went a cry through the chowkey of Omercarry that the cage was empty, and with jrief and rage, the police found that the bird that had flown was—Apoo Aboo. A night had not come and gone, when a house robbery was committed at Malabar hill; another night produced a similar tale ; and on the third, one more xeside*on the Hill of Fashion had to bemoan a rifled jewox. The police recognised the handiwork; they w sure they knew the robber • they felt that it could be no other than— Apoo Abo.i. They searched far and near, but in Born. bay no trace could be found of the Chinaman. From information which they got, they changed the scene to Tonna. Here a Parsee was taking a ticket for Bhosaw4 or, it might be, for Calcutta, when a detective tapped him on the shoulder, then removed his speckled hat, and lo! down over his back fell a pigtail! And who is the weaver of the install and the speckled bat?— why, Apoo Aboo. This time the police took greater care of him, and after &tame a Chinaman was sentenced at•the Criminal Sessions to seven years' imprisonment, with hard labour, and this, of course, was—Apoo Aboo. Now, we trust, our readers know who Apoo Aboo is. Apoo seemed to be getting on decently and quietly at the House of Correction till a fortnight ago, when an action of his suddenly roused the seal qf those deputed to tale care of him. While one of the guards was going his rounds at night, he heard a sound at a cell-door as if a mouse were gnawing at it. He lir tined; he looked—and behold, in a second or two the blade of a knife shone through the wood. He procured assistame, and when the warders entered the cell they found that they were just in time to save themselves from losing Apoo. A lam panelhad been cut out of the door, and Apoo with the knife in one hand and a rope in the other wan making r way to escape. How he go t the knife and the rope we cannot tell; but a committee meeting of the House of Correction authorities was held the other day, at which it was resolved to take such steps as would prevent the recurrence of such a narrow escape of Bombay from being favoured with the company of this ingenious and daring housebreaker. Apoo at large is the most disagreeable thing a houseowner in Bombay could fancy.