ATTEMPTED GOLD ROBBERY.

Evening Star, Issue 4207, 21 August 1876, Page 3

ATTEMPTED GOLD ROBBERY.

(Tuaptka Times.) The robbery of miners' tail races has of late been an offence almost unheard of in this district, but on Saturday morning at half-past one a miner named J. Harris, when on his way home from the night shift at the Blue Spur, discovered two'men in the act of "panning off" dirt taken from Messrs Kitto and party's tail race in Munro's Gaily. Harris immediately aroused two of the share holders in the claim, and went towards these midnight robbers, each taking different routes up through the claim, in the hopes of effecting a capture. When within about twenty yards of the thieves, Harris imprudently gave the alarm, and they immediately decamped. The owners of the claim gave chase, but without avail, and after an ineffectual search in the dark returned to the claim. On examining the spot where the tail-race had been disturbed, it was found that the robbers knew their business, as they were working up to the most likely place for gold in the race. On the bank was found a piece of calico about 2ft. square, on which was deposited some sand and gold roughly "panned off," a tin dish and bot'.le lantern containing a piece of candle, and farther down the race a second tin dish. Finding that further search was useless owing to the darkness of the night, and there being no likelihood of the thieves returning, an adjournment was made until morning. On visiting the claim at daylight, ample traces of the delinquents were visible, and their footmarks were traceable for some distance, but owing to the heavy fall of snow and rain they soon became obliterated. The sand in the calico when washed was found to contain 30z3 ldwt of gold, a loss which the claimholders were fortunate enough to prevent. Some suspicion has arisen that this midnight visit was not the first this claim had received, as the previous clearing up only yielded onefourth of the gold that the proprietors anticipated. Had the thieves remained undisturbed /or a couple of hours they would have had the cream of the present washing, and therefore the timely discovery of the i robbery was fortunate indeed. ]