“BOGGO” – EPISODE #7 –BURGLAR BILL – Notorious thief and safecracker William Thompson in his own words.
William Thompson, known in every state in Australia as Burglar Bill; has been an associate with some of the country’s most notorious criminals. Some of them cold blooded killers who have ended their days on the gallows.
When first entering a life of crime he thought he could beat the law. But after twenty-seven years in and out of gaol, in 1937, he finally realised that crime does not pay. In a rare treat, the Truth newspaper in Brisbane published his full story, perhaps he would tell it best anyhow!
“I can look back on those wasted years- years that I cannot recall to live over again, now that I have learned a bit of sense. Perhaps, as crooks go, I have had a particularly eventful life; I have met and consorted with many of the ‘big’ men; I have witnessed executions from inside and I have spent some weeks in a cell that once held the famous Ned Kelly. But those memories are nothing to be proud of. I am well aware that today I am regarded as one of the most persistent burglars in Australia, and I am certainly not proud of my title “Burglar Bill”.
In this episode, Research Co-ordinator Sue, and tour guide Tom, share the story of the notorious Burglar Bill – William Thompson in his own words as sent to the Truth newspaper on his release in 1937.