DARING THEFT

Auckland Star, Volume LXXIII, Issue 123, 27 May 1942, Page 8

DARING THEFT

FROM CITY HOTEL

JEWELLERY WORTH £435

A daring burglary was carried out during the daytime yesterday when a thief entered the bedroom of a guest on the second floor of the Central Hotel and left with a dressing j case which contained jewellery valued at £435 and other personal property not of a negotiable nature, belonging to Mrs. Mortimer Williams. The theft was discovered by Mrs. Williams when she returned to her room about 4.40 p.m. The missing jewellery included a diamond wristlet watch, a diamond star brooch and several rings, while also in the dressing case was the sum of £5 10/ in money, a bank book, social security book, cheque book, other documents and some medicines. When Mrs. Williams left her room at i).:io a.m. yesterday the dressing case was on a luggage stand. As was customary, she did not lock the door of her room. On returning at 4.40 p.m. she missed the dressing case, and in looking about the room saw fragments of baggage labels which had been torn from the case in the fireplace. The police were immediately informed of the theft and inquiries were begun by detectives. Mrs. Williams, who arrived from England about five months ago, had been living at the hotel while making arrangements to reside permanently in Auckland. This morning she left to take a flat in Remuera. Her loss is a substantial one. for not all the stolen property was insured. The missing dressing case, which was about 20 inches long and nine inches deep, was found in the porch of St. Patrick's Cathedral at 5.55 last evening by the sacristan. It had evidently been thrown there by the thief. The jewellery, was missing as also was the money, but the bank book and other documents were left in the case. Stuffed into the case was a fawn raincoat. This did not belong to Mrs. Williams. So far the jewellery has not been recovered.