£837 ROBBERY

Hokitika Guardian, 4 July 1931, Page 5

£837 ROBBERY

. - Tr^||p|| PAYROLL DISAPPEARS FROM CAfc: (By Telegraph—Per Press Association)

JX VERCARGILL, July 3.

A sensational robbery occurred ..in South Invercargill about noon to-daiy, when a s nffl of .money exceeding £B30 v was stolen from a car in Maitland Street. Jt comprised the pay roll of:, the employees of the Ocean Beach , Freezing Coy.. : In accordance with a long established custom, Mr . George McChesney, pay clerk of the company, came ,to Invercargill during the rnornipg-to collect the money due. to the men for their week’s work. The sum-of £837/4/2 'was drawn from the bank in cash, and the money was all in small sums, the highest denomination being. £5 notes. Each individual worker’s wages were; made up, and put into, envelopes at-, the. Invercargill office of Messrs G. - Ward and Coy., in the Crescent. ' v -

The pay roll was placed in a leather bag, which was unlocked and McChesney left the office about ...noon in his car, an open touring his' way, to Ocean Beach... -Ur ,- . • .:vF

McChesney stopped for a few, minutes at his house in Maitland Street, South Invercargill, and after, making slight adjustments to his engine, he went indoors to wash his -hands and collect his overcoat.. He was .only away for a very few minutes, but when he returned the bag, was missing and nobody was in sight. The absence of the bag was the only testimony that someone had passed .thab way. The view of the street, from which the house is obscured by a dense Jjigh macrooarpa hedge, , and thus, it would be a simple matter for anyone to take the bag from the car without any likelihood of being seen by those indoors. ; Vv f

The police were informed immediately McChesney discovered the loss, but clues were scarce, in view of the fact that no one appeared to have bben seen in the vicinity during the brief period that the clerk was away. Jt is not known yet whether any local resident noticed a person or persons' remove the bag from ..the car, but it, is considered . likely that any stranger would be seen, as there is usually a good . deal of , traffic about noon. ' . . ' .

Although McChesney has on rare occasions, called, at liis house : before proceeding to the works, it was by no means his,,usual practice, and/itds assumed that the thief, had knowledge that the money would be in the car, and that he •• took advantage of the driver’s brief