DISGRACEFUL THEFT.

Mount Ida Chronicle, Volume IV, Issue 218, 2 May 1873, Page 7

DISGRACEFUL THEFT.

The records of a Police Court show the worst phases of human nature, show to what depths man will go to accomplish crime, but usually there is a reverse side to the picture so presented, some reason being generally apparent. Starvation and poverty are at times assigned, but too often drink is found to be the 'prima causa which has led to the filling of our gaols and reformatories.* But for the crime which was committed on Monday night — the robbing of the foundation stone of the new Masonic Hall of its contents —the robber must have been actuated by the basest of motives. Poverty could hardly, be assignable, and only a desire of committing the pettiest of petty thefts could have actuated the very peculiar black - gaurd who effected the robbery. After the ceremony of laying the stone on Monday was completed, the workmen placed on the top of the " foundation stone " (a piece from the Oamaru quarries) a heavy piece of blue stone in the ordinary course of building. Yesterday morning the two stones were found prized out of position, the cavity in the stone underneath the foundation stone broken into —a cover of sandstone having been on Monday well cemented in—one of the bottles it contained smashed, the other bottle taken away, and the contents of both bottles stolen. The one bottle which was removed from the old hall contained two copies of the ' Timaru Herald,' one of 29th August, 1866, and one of either the 11th or 18th June, 1864, a copy of the £ Lyttel- ! ton Times,' £ Press,' and ' Oamaru Times,' besides a sovereign, half sovereign, a crown piece, a halfcrown, a florin, a shilling piece, sixpence, fourpenny bit, threepenny bit, a penny, and a halfpenny, the cash in all being £2 Is B|d. The other bottle contained a copy respectively of Monday's issue of the ' Timaru Herald 5 and the ' South Canterbury Times,' a ' Lyttelton Times' of Saturday last, and a parchment setting forth the reasons for the then ceremony. The night of Monday was bright moonlight, and the thief or thieves must have worked at their rascally task in fear and trembling, the locality facing as it does d much frequented road. That he or they were disturbed is evidenced by a knife being left behind with which the cement mortar had been picked out. This knife may eventually tell tales. We sincerely trust that it may and that the police may catch the perpetrator of this vile act. The law, unfortunately, does not provide a sufficiently adequate punishment, but still we trust the people will not employ Judge Lynch to adjudicate. Since the above was in type Ave learn that a warrant has been issued for the apprehension of "a suspect," which hasjbeen acted upon, a man being in custody. —' Timaru Herald.'