SENSATIONAL ROBBERY.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLIX, Issue 3778, 12 April 1928, Page 2

SENSATIONAL ROBBERY.

THEATRE CARETAKER. BOUND AND GAGGED. SMALL SUM OF MONEY TAKEN. Auckland, April 11. Richard Gainfort, caretaker of the Strand Theatre, Hamilton, was brutally attacked at 10.30 last night. He was gagged and then hound to his bed. His cries for help were heard by a passer-by, who informed the police. The manager of the theatre was summoned, and Gainfort was liberated from his room, where he had been imprisoned for about two hours. The keys of a strongroom, in which over £SOO had been placed, had been taken from the caretaker, together with a. sum of money. The thieves did not know the whereabouts of the safe.

The passer-by who heard the noise met Constable Naylor, and informed him of the occurrence. The constable returned with the man to the theatre, but they found the front door locked. Mr S. Tombs, the manager of the Strand, was awakened at 12.15 o’clock, and he immediately hastened to the theatre.

Mr Gainfort was not to be seen, and the searchers went to his room, which was locked. On entering it they found that he had managed to escape from his bonds. He had been robbed of £ls in.cash and his watch and chain. The men also took with them a number of keys, including the keys of the safe and others that would give them access to any part of the theatre. HID IN THEATRE. No time was lost by Mr Tombs in removing the money in the safe, which is situated in another part of ihe building. Owing to the banks being closed from Thursday the large sum of money totalling over £SOO was stowed in the safe, and there is little doubt that this was the objective of the thieves. On regaining consciousness after the attack upon him, Mr Gainfort, realising that a large sum of money was at the mercy of his assailants, made hurried efforts to free himjelf. His bruised and swollen /.lists bare testimony to the efforts he made. Mr Gainfort is 65 years of age, and a married man with a family. His wife, however, is at present absent in Sydney, and last night he was alone in his quarters.