NEW HIDING PLACE

Hokitika Guardian, 18 November 1932, Page 6

NEW HIDING PLACE

MONEY PLACET) IN ICE CHEST,

BURGLARS DISCOVER SECRET

SYDNEY, November H

One night last week thieves broke into a house at Enfield. Mr William (Green and his wife who lived there liad taken their child en to a circus and when they returned they found that the lead,light over .the doer had been cut through. The house was in disorder and in the. kitchen the icc-cliest was lying with i’.e door forced open and wrenched off. The Greens knew at once what it meant—their savings had gone! They had used the packed door of the chest as a strong box and replaced the. .lining, and in this hiding lace they had stored nearly £l2O r- twoshilling pieces. Happily, the thieves were disturbed’ before they could “clean ups” but they got away with over £SO and the Greens were left lamenting DISTRUSTED SAVINGS BANK. But why this strange rfiethod of banking? The tale, as told by Mrs Green, is a curious ia,nd instructive one. When the Government Savings Bank was closed under the Lang regime the Greens had all their savings in it, and when it re-opened they withdrew their money for fear of losin? it altogether. They draw £IOO in large notes and had them for the time in the housei under the linoleum. Then they gradually changed the notes into smaller notes, and these into two \shiTjmg pieces. But they now had so many coins to look after that tbei looked round for a safe hiding place and they hit upon the ice-chest. It looked safe enough with the tin carefully replaced, on the door: and the Greers were so anxious at out it that they never told 'anyone of their hoard. They even ",sent the children out of the room and pulled down the . window blinds when ever they lmd occasion to go to their “bank.” Y?t the thieves discovered it without much trouble.