DARING ROBBERY.

Gisborne Times, Volume XVII, Issue 1366, 30 January 1905, Page 3

DARING ROBBERY.

One pi the moat sensational re bories perpetrated in London lor long time took placo in broad di light recently, in the busiest part Olerkcnwell repack near the junctic ;with Aidersgate street. There ai .the extensive premises of Messrs , •J - StocKali and Sons, a largo fin of manufacturers of clocks, watches jewellery, and jewellers' .appliances. I On Saturday., afternoon. Mr .Thos Stockail, son of the head of th firm, remained in the shop aftci everyone else had left in order ti complete some pressing business. IP a clever ruse, tnreo well-dressed met obtained entrance .to .tho shop, anc .taking Mr Stockail by, surprise, gagged and bound him to a pillar, wniio they, ransacked the establishment, stealing goods to tlio value of between £3OOO and £4OOO, Mr Stookall, who is a colonel in .the 21st Middlesex .Volunteers, ;and a man of good | Physique, between 40 apd 50 years of age, struggled desperately. for hours .to free himself from his bonds, h,u.t so oflec lively, had the trying process been performed that he found himself completely, helpless, and .was forced to remain’in his painful and exhausting position for a period of no fewer than. 41 hours, it being S o'clock on Monday morning before the premises were again entered. One of the employees, a packer, then .discovered Mr Stockail still hound and gagged„ and in a state of collapse. Pie was at once treated by. a local doctor,, but his condition is still somewhat serioxis. Colonel Stockail, who was too ill to receive visitors, gave a full .account of tlio .outrage to his daughter who, on Monday afternoon, related the following thrilling narrativo The story of this terrible affair goes back for more than a fortnight. Mne day, a- well-dressed, clean-shaven man, called at his shop, aad asked to see some gold watches, as he was getting up a testimonial to his minister and wife, who were leaving the district. Some watches were shown him, and he selected one particularly good one, on which he paid a deposit of £5, lie left the watch to have an inscription p.u.t on it, and departed. On Saturday last,, about 4 o’clock, the man returned, and met Qolonel Stockail leaving the sihop to post a letter, The man said he had come to purchase a diamond brooch for the minister’s wife* ■to accompany the present .of the watch to the minister.

Colon el S t octal ! readily; agreed, although it was after hours,' and asked hig would-be customer to wait until he had posted his letter, When he returned to the shop, he found the gentleman thero with another.' Thig is a friend of mine,,'- he said to the colonel, •“ and, i nave 'taken the liberty of asking him in,” They then prodceedcd to the interior ;of the shop,, where Colonel Stock-all showed them some diamond brooches, an,d they selected a pendant i worth £.lO, paying on it a deposit ol £lO, When hhq receipt had been given Colonel Stockall invited them into hig private office to have a drink. When they got inside one of the men remarked, “ (You. don’t object to smoking, do yo,u *•* Oh, uo,.*r said .Colonel Stockall. f>‘. Then, 'l'll have a cigar,,’’' said the man, and putting hj.a hand into his pocket lie withdrew; a, revolver, ,, and covering the colonel with the (weapon said, ‘'’ Now; Mr Stiocball, time is short. Hurry up with those keys. We want some of that stu/ffl out of the safe.’* ‘‘i 1 ’ Hood graeioius, yo.n’xo not robhera said the colonel, # i won’t give you the keys,. Shp.ot me if you want to.”-

i ' , ‘‘ We won’t shoot you,,”- replied one of the men, *•■ hut we want some of those diamonds.’^ Thinking to gain time,...C:ol, Stockall attempted ,to. argue with them, but a third man, of whose presence the Colonel was hitherto unaware,, slipped behind him and hit him over the head, stunning him.; Then they •bound and gagged him, an,d roped •him to a pillar in the shop. HO saw tho men rummage the safes and cases, and then lost consciousness. ■When he recovered, about 8 o’clock ho partially removed the gag, and shouted for hours on end,, hut no one found him until Monday, morning. The xohhery was carried out in : a most daring manner, and it was also ■apparent that the .thieves wero experienced scoundrels, and mush have laid their plana deliberately. The thick fog no doubt greatly assisted the .thieves'.

Among tho passengers to Wellington by the Papanui from London was a Breton peasant girl, who came out as purse to a saloon passenger. Tho girl, dressed in the eostume of her country, made a quaint picture, with her ruddy face peering out of the starched white head-dress, the peasant girl’s everyday cap, . As the girl could neither read nor write her own language, objection was madoby the Customs officer to her landing, but the difficulty was overcome by the husband of the girl’s mistress (a French lady), who came from Auckland to meet his wife, becoming responsible for the girl.