ROBBERY AT THE THEATRE ROYAL.

Press, Volume LXV, Issue 13336, 30 January 1909, Page 11

ROBBERY AT THE THEATRE ROYAL.

A BIG HAUL. THIEF NETS £330. Ono of the biggest robberies reporter! in C.'hri.-itcii:irc}i for some considerable tuim was if ported yesterday evening, the. victims being Mr Biand Holt's lii< atricii Company. Th© amount which wa* stolon is not exactly stated. init it a_-pro„i;_at,.~_ £330. practically ••ill in gold. The. tacts are that Mr Fred. Duncan, thc company's treasurer, was put in lasses-ion ot the sum mentioned during the afternoon. It waa intended to del ray certain c__k>usc_ connected with the Chri.-lciiurch season, and also to pay the -aiarie- of uiembera of the company. .Mr Duncan placed tho money, most oi" which was iv envelopeuuure—acu to various members ot tho company, and tiio rest in a canvas bag. in » leatner brief bag, and tiu_ wa_ depo-ited in a -troiig wo_—e_ LmjX, in tlio J.iieutre otuco. 'i__re are iliree

outrauoc- to tuu o_i_o, on. troui the circieat—.ira iuii'-iug, utio trom tne stalls tiu„ut oi—oe, ana a t—ur_ U'oui Uu i igut-oi-vvay leaumg to t_o g_U«ry «_- ---ti„i.i-o aao si.___,o uwr, luo niL-__t_-<.-lloCi.i_ ail euii'UilC-. ut t_o Uoor Irani uif ciicio „iair- lauuiug, wunin ojreiiv.> a iiit_iit ol iittifc. to vie o_vi.- liui>r. lno u-u-r __v utta Oui-t open witii some iion iii-tiuiueiit, pio--auiy a cni-el. ___ ioi;_ was _vi_entJy jatner iraii, and it would not bo a matter ol great <_i_icully to burst it. I'ioiu the iuur_- ou t~c door aud tlio llVl-Dttl UppL'UIUUC- ol t_o Kicii, tno tlnei iiaO. .apparently not troubled k'.'iiuiiier hie operations wero c_ri'ieu out silently or not. there were empoi woiid lying about ou tno tioor, indicating tliat tne Oreaiciug of tlie, lock iiatt called tor some exertion. Tlio door onco ox>en, the entry to tlie oilico tva_ secured. '1 he tiuef did not waste any time on tho folding uc-lv, which would have presontol an inviting appoarauoe to a cracksman who was not sure of the location of his quarry. He appears to havo made straignt for tlie wooden box in which the money was lying. The box was secured by a .spring p_dlock of the ordinary ty_»c, but it looks an eminently unsafe place lor so largo an amount of money. The burglar oould havo found no dniiculty in breaking it, and once that was accomplished, all ho had to do was to lilt tlio lid aud take out the gold. The robbery was not discovered until close on seven o'clock last night. The arrangements for opening tho theatre for tho evening pori'orinanco proceeded os usual, and a young man actually took a number of tickets out of tho box without noticing that the broken padlock was lying at his feet. The discovery of tlie loss was mode by Mr Duncan, who at once informed the police. It is not known how the robber secured an entry into the Theatre, but it seems probable that ho used tho stage door, which is usually open during the afternoon. From there ho would make his way to the front part of the building, and gain the circle stairs without difficulty. The caretaker, who was in the building during the day, saw no one to whom suspicion could bo attached. From tho circumstances of the robbery, it appears to be pretty certain that the guilty person knew where tho money was kept, as the other boxes and tho folding desk in the office were untouched. The heavy- loss was a most unfortunate wind-up to Mr Bland Holt's Christchurch season.

Tlio robbery was being enquired into last night by tihe Chief Detective, and his staff. Tlio thief left practically no clue, and tho money, boinjr all in gold, will not ho readily traceable.