BURGLARY AT PAX HILL

Hokitika Guardian, 9 December 1929, Page 3

BURGLARY AT PAX HILL

LORD BAD lON-BOW K LIAS LOSS. LONDON, October “4. Burglars who crept along on stockinged feet broke, into the Hampshire h-uno of Lord Baden-Powell on T'uosda night by prising open a window a lew voids from where the Chief Seoul lay asleep on a balcony, in the open air. Apparently the burglars motored alufc- tec main Londoii-Soutlianipton road and then took off their boots and walked along a narrow winding path leading to the house—Pax Hill, Bentley. Then, reaching the gravel putli in front of the hone, they walked along a newly-planted hod of waU-iiowers. They broke a th.ek plate-glass window of the diningroom near the fastening and then opened tho window and climbed in. TREASURES STOLEN. They stole presentation plate, wedding presents, and four silver cups—two from the Mercers Company and two from the Duke of Connaught. A silver model of the famous naval gun, the Old Wolf, a treasured trophy presented to Lord BadenPowell by the* people of Matabeloland after the Boer War, was also taken.

“All tho stolen articles were presents, and all hear inscriptions (said Lady Baden-Powell). We prize them very much indeed. The burglars did not visit the upper rooms. As they walked through the rooms downstairs they locked the doors behind them. The value of the stolen trophies is nothing compared with the sentimental associations. They were all priceless to us.” Lord Baden-Powell expressed his admiration at the cleverness of the burglars, who did not disturb throe flogs which wen* lease in other parts of the house. A careful search appears to have been made for other articles of value but to the great r--1;,.C ( >f the Chief Scout, the burglars failed to discover the hiding place ol U, ( . ir ol (| casket which contains tliq. freedom of the City of London, pro-' sented to him last week. The thieveapparently wore gloves, as no fingermarks have been discovered.