Robbery from a Crushing Machine.

Cromwell Argus, Volume IV, Issue 176, 25 March 1873, Page 7

Robbery from a Crushing Machine.

Early yesterday morning news reached Reefton that the copper plates at Anderson’s machine site had been cut from the tables and abstracted. The quantity of gold estimated to have been on the plates is fairly put at not leas than 500z., of a money value of £195 os., but the actual loss to the company is considerably greater, probably little short of £SOO. It appears that it had not been deemed necessary to watch the tables, the only amalgam left on them being what was deemed sufficient to facilitate the arrest of the gold as its fines intermixed with quartz tailings from the batteries, and it could not for one moment be supposed that the robbers would have recourse to such a daring expedient as cutting away the copper-plates from the tables. Mr Burgett left the machinehouse secured in the ordinary way, on Thursday evening, and visited Reefton, and although the loss was not discovered until yesterday morning, it is very probable that it was early in the night that the robbery was perpertated. Information was given to the police, and Sergeant M ! Ardle proceeded to Blacks Point yesterday to search for some clue to the missing property and the perpetrators of the robbery. But for this untoward occurrence the company, after having undertaken a large outlay in opening up the mine, would have resumed crushing tomorrow. As it is, the plates must be renewed, which need not involve any great delay, but the task of preparing them that they may be in proper order for saving the gold will be attended with serious expense, and in order to do this not less, probably, than fifty ounces of gold, the product of the nnne, will have to be sacrificed.— lnangahua Herald, March 5. In a loading article of the same issue, the Herald says it is imperative that the police force throughout the district he increased.