GREAT JEWEL ROBBERY.

Oamaru Mail, Volume I, Issue 318, 30 April 1877, Page 4

GREAT JEWEL ROBBERY.

A r 'E>berjr cf jewet-t, very similar in its ciTCittw.«twiGes to tlu'S© which were so nuneons nrar London rafchnr more thnn ay«-ar itg«>, fnclc place on February l»~>ch at! Battle Abb*y, mar Ha* times, the seat ©I the Ihrfce of tJluvekwU. _ As on former occ:.a'«m», the time chost-n for the robbery was white there wps a dinner party in the mansion-. Between 10 and It p.m., a servar.t attempted to enter the Duchess's dTe«ins-rooai> but found the door tucked. Sie raised art alarm ; the door wa* hurst ©pea, and it; was then foand that the locks of the TJtachess's drawer* had teen picked and the jewels stolen, the empty cades being: left scattered abont the room._ It wja foond that entrance fund beets gained throttgh the window, which the thieves had entered by means of two fcdders Jtashed together and planted upon the terrace below. The footprint* of three men were traced upon the lawn. Fortunately the thieves in their hurvy overlooked one valuable jewel case,, but the booty they obtained was nevertheless very considerable, amounting in value to a boat Llo,©o©. The jewels consisted principally of «liamend and ruby necklaces and earrings, Si.td bracelets and lockets, Ac. Among m article* stolen was a necklace given to the Duchess by the Qaeen on her marriage, heir Grace having been one of her Majesty's bridesmaids. It b described as "a handsome combination of diamonds and ruby stars and emeralds."' There was also stolen a gold watch presented to the Duchess by her husband on their wedding day. This watch was st&tem once before, and three years afterwards was. recovered in the shop of a London pawjJbro&er. A reward of LiOOhasbesn offered for information which shall lead to the detection of the thieves, but as yet the police are said to he completely at fault. Since then another robbery of the lame kind, bnt smaller, has; been stteeessfwlly committed in another mansion. Th? servants are not suspected of collusion in either case, bnt it is evident the internal arrangements of such establishments need to be improved.— Palhj Times? Correspondent. I