THE EMDEN BELL

Hokitika Guardian, 20 May 1933, Page 6

THE EMDEN BELL

STOLEN A SECOND TIME

a Mysterious affair.

Mystery siirronds the theft, for the second time, of the well-known ' wistfetic, tlTe , Ijell from the German cruiserPhi)den. The hell was stolen from, the •War". Memorial Museum in Prince .Alfred Park, SydiieV/'''i'e'c«iTt'ly”;' 1 ’ I bt--wittystanding that it weighs about a hundredweight, and wufs.ltolted to ..a. pedestal in . the •naval' > ..Sec.tibu of ttye museum. . • ik.’ .

The -bell Was stolen" Airom Garden Island in August?'’last, and was recovered in February havi.iig-.been buried in the Domain. For safe keeping it was then transferred to the War Memorial Museum,, placed in a prominent posi-tion,.-and made secure with; an- iron bolt. A week or two ago the' museum authorities "Tqund that the bolt had been sawn through■and the bell was missing. -

How the thieves were able to get the bell out of the building is a mystery, the. solution of which baffled the .dec-’ ..toctives. for none of the doors of windows were interfered with. During the day, an. officer works near by, and at bight the building is, patrolled by two -wntchmgn,- It is held in some quarters that the bell lias been stolen with a view of selling it overseas at a high price as -an outstanding valuable war relic.